Treatment time:
60 minutes
Anaesthetic required:
Yes
Downtime:
1-5 days
Cost:
From £450 (consultation £95)
Key benefit:
Prevent or treat dental pain with minimised nerve complications
Wisdom tooth coronectomy fast facts
A wisdom tooth coronectomy involves removing the crown of a lower wisdom tooth, leaving the roots in place to prevent any nerve issues or complications.
The roots of most lower wisdom teeth are very close to the inferior alveolar nerve, which provides sensation to your lower lip, chin, cheek and tongue. If a full extraction poses too much risk to this nerve, a coronectomy is the ideal alternative.
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What does the treatment involve?
If a coronectomy is the safest option for your wisdom tooth, we discuss the procedure with you in detail, helping you stay informed and well prepared for your surgery.
We use local anaesthetic to minimise your discomfort, which is placed into the gum next to your affected wisdom tooth. When your gum and tooth are completely numb, we make a small cut in your gum to access the area. Using a surgical drill, we carefully remove the top part of your wisdom tooth while keeping the lower roots perfectly intact.
Once the crown is removed, we place a few small stitches into your gum to help with smooth healing. We ensure you are feeling well and give you some tailored advice on what to expect for the first few days following treatment.
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The actual time spent performing the coronectomy procedure is approximately 30 minutes, with your total appointment around 30-60 minutes.
We recommend taking the rest of the day off work following your surgical procedure. Most people recover quickly, though you may require an additional 1-5 days off work depending on your specific case.
You will not feel any pain during the treatment, but it is common to feel some soreness afterwards. We recommend taking a painkiller such as paracetamol or ibuprofen straight away to prevent immediate discomfort. You may find you need to take painkillers for 1-5 days after treatment. Please check with us if you have any questions.
The primary reason to leave the roots behind is to protect the inferior alveolar nerve. However, there is a small risk that the remaining roots could become infected or fail to heal properly in the future. If this happens, they may need to be removed in a second treatment, though by that time, the roots often move further away from the nerve, making removal much safer.
The numbness generally lasts for 2-4 hours, during which you should avoid hot drinks or chewing food to prevent accidentally biting or burning your lips, cheek, or tongue (drinking water is perfectly fine). Some minor bleeding, slight bruising, and swelling are normal and usually settle within 3-5 days. Any stitches used will dissolve on their own after 7-10 days.
Yes, if you are worried about pain or feeling nervous about dental surgery, we can use sedation to help you relax. This makes you feel sleepy and completely at ease both physically and mentally. You will need someone to take you home safely afterwards.
