Dental Crown Amputation

Crown amputation is a variation of dental extraction that is sometimes applied for teeth with tooth resorption. It is most commonly performed in cats. Depending on the type of tooth resorption occurring, some teeth are fused to the local jawbone, and in the process of turning their roots into bone.

When this is the case, simply removing the painful exposed part of the tooth on the surface is sometimes sufficient to alleviate the pain and is a less invasive surgical option than attempting to fully extract tooth roots that are turning into bone.

Long term studies following these teeth show that when this procedure is effectively applied, the tooth roots continue to be resorbed to bone and there is better healing in the area. Careful decision making is necessary on the part of the surgeon to choose whether an extraction or crown amputation is more appropriate for any given tooth.