Alveotomy
What is alveotomy?
Alveotomy is an oral surgical procedure for tooth extraction involving the removal of the tooth along with a portion of the surrounding alveolar bone. Such a procedure can be extremly demanding; therefore it is highly recommended that alveotomy be performed by an oral surgery specialist who is an expert in specific procedures in the oral jaw. When referring to alveotomy, it is most commonly associated with the extraction of wisdom teeth along with a portion of the surrounding bone.
Wisdom teeth = eights
In dental terminology, wisdom teeth are referred to as third molars or “eights” since they are the eighth teeth in the dental arch. Unlike other teeth, they erupt last in the jaw. The eruption of wisdom teeth usually begins in adulthood, typically between the ages 18 and 30.
The eruption and growth of wisdom teeth can cause significant problems for many patients, such as:
- pain due to lack of space in the jaw
- rapid decay of wisdom teeth due to difficulties in maintaining good oral hygiene in that area
- gum inflammation and bleeding
The most problematic wisdom teeth are often:
- impacted : fully formed teeth within the bone that cannot erupt properly due to mechanical obstacles such as lack of space, adjacent teeth, or bone.
- semi-impacted: partially erupted teeth.
To determine the direction and cause of pain associated with wisdom teeth, patients are referred to our radiology department for dental imaging.
Tooth extraction – simple and complex extraction – alveotomy
Every tooth extraction falls under the category of oral surgery. The complexity of a tooth extraction depends on various factors, such as the type of tooth, the number of roots it has, the shape of the roots and the direction of tooth eruption. In compliance with these factors, tooth extractions can be classified as:
- simple
- complex
Alveotomy is a complex tooth extraction procedure and, in fact, the most complicated extraction technique.
When is alveotomy recommended?
If wisdom teeth are impacted or retained and causing problems in daily life, it is recommended to have them extracted. Headaches and migraines can sometimes be a consequence of impacted or retained wisdom teeth. This procedure helps avoid pain and recurring infections.
The general rule in dentistry is to extract any impacted tooth, typically wisdom teeth or canines in the upper jaw, only in two cases:
- when they cause significant discomfort to the patients.
- when their growth and position jeopardize other more important teeth.
If your dentist recommends wisdom tooth extraction, there is no need to worry, as removing wisdom teeth does not disturb the balance in the oral cavity, and they do not require replacement.
Have you ever wondered why it is necessary to replace other teeth, but not wisdom teeth? The reason lies in the evolutionary development of humans. As evolution progressed, the human head reduced in size, and consequently, the jaws also became smaller. If you compare our ancestors such as Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons or other human predecessors to modern humans, you will notice that they had much broader jaws as a result their dietary habits. They consumed solid food, mainly raw or insufficiently cooked, which required a large and wide jaws. As present-day humans have narrower jaws, there is often not enough space for wisdom teeth, which leads to various issues.
Did you know that many people do not have any wisdom tooth buds? Nowadays, wisdom teeth are not essential for modern dietary habits.
Pericoronitis – alveotomy
What is pericoronitis?
Pericoronitis is a technical term for infections and pain caused by periodontal pockets in the gum tissue and around the bone. It refers to a localized acute and purulent inflammation around a partially erupted tooth. Improper or incomplete eruption of wisdom teeth leads to difficulties in oral hygiene, resulting in pericoronitis.
Periodontal pockets cause redness and the infection can spread to the surrounding bone and soft tissues, leading to severe swelling that does not resolve on its own. If inflammation is not treated in a timely manner, the pain becomes frequent and hinders patients from functioning normally. In such cases, the impacted wisdom tooth is extracted.
Protocol
- Local anaesthesia.
- Precise removal of bone obstructing the eruption and proper growth of the wisdom tooth using forceps, elevators, and drills. The tooth is extracted either as a whole or sectioned for easier removal.
- Wound suturing.
- Cooling the treated area with compresses.
- Taking analgesics.
- Antibiotics prescribed by the oral surgeon, if necessary.
- Follow-up examination and suture removal after 7 days.
Why should you choose to do alveotomy at Miličić Dent Polyclinic?
At our clinic, we provide comprehensive care for the preparation and extraction of teeth:
- High-quality imaging using the highest quality radiography equipment.
- Fully equipped surgical rooms.
- Experienced oral surgery specialists with a high number of successful alveotomy procedures.
When it comes to your oral health, choose expertise and experience – choose Miličić Dent!
