Furcation
A furcation involvement, also called a furcation invasion, is defined as an area of bone loss at this branching point of a tooth root. The bone loss results from periodontal (gum) disease.
Etiology[edit | edit source]
- Extension of inflammatory periodontal disease.
- Trauma from occlusion.
- Cervical enamel projections
- Pulpoperiodontal diseases
- Iatrogenic cofactors
- Anatomical factors
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
Furcation involvement can be diagnosed by two methods:
- Clinical examination
A thorough clinical examination is the key to diagnosis and treatment planning. Careful probing is performed by using a Naber’s probe. Transgingival probing further helps to define the anatomy of the furcation defect.
Clinical classification of Furcation Involvement[edit | edit source]
According to Glickman (1953)[edit | edit source]
- Grade I: Pocket formation into the flute of the furcation but inter-radicular bone is intact
- Grade II: Loss of inter-radicular bone and pocket formation of various depths into the furcation but not completely probable to the opposite side of the tooth.
- Grade III: Complete loss of inter-radicular bone with pocket formation that is completely probable to the opposite side of the tooth.
- Grade IV: Loss of attachment and recession that has made the entire furcation clinically visible.
According to Goldman and Cohen[edit | edit source]
- Grade I: Incipient lesion
- Grade II: It is a cul de sac lesion
- Grade III: Through and through furcation involvement
According to Hamp et al.[edit | edit source]
- Degree I: Horizontal loss of periodontal tissue support less than 3 mm.
- Degree II: Horizontal loss of support exceeding 3 mm but not encompassing the total width of the furcation area.
- Degree III: Horizontal through and through destruction of the periodontal tissues in the furcation.
According to Tarnow and Fletcher[edit | edit source]
- Subclass A: Vertical destruction to one-third of the total interradicular height (1-3 mm).
- Subclass B: Vertical destruction reaching two-thirds of the inter-radicular height. (4 to 6 mm).
- Subclass C: Inter-radicular osseous destruction into or beyond the apical third (more than 7 mm).
- Radiographic examination
Radiographs can also be used as diagnostic aids in diagnosing furcation involvement
Radiographic classification of Furcation Involvement[edit | edit source]
- Grade I: Radiographic changes are not usually found
- Grade II: Radiographs may or may not depict the furcation involvement
- Grade III: Show a radiolucent area in the crotch of the tooth
- Grade IV: Seen as a radiolucent area.
Treatment[edit | edit source]
- Grade I: Scaling, root planing, curettage, gingivectomy, odontoplasty.
- Grade II: Scaling, root planing, curettage, odontoplasty, osteoplasty with limited ostectomy, in shallow grade II invasions. In more severe furcation involvements, root resection/hemisection is done.
- Grade III: Tunneling, root sectioning, hemisection, extraction
- Grade IV: Maintenance
Regenerative procedures: Autogenous and autologous osseous grafting, synthetic grafting, GTR, root conditioning, coronally displaced flap and combination procedures. GTR and combination procedures.
Furcation Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Admin, Bonnu, Prab R. Tumpati, MD