Notes on coronectomy.

Coronectomy involves removal of a crown from roots of a healthy tooth in healthy patients indicated to prevent inferior alveolar nerve injury in a high risk case. Since the original paper in 2005 ( 2005; 43: 7-12) describing a prospective randomised study on coronectomy, there has been a lot of interest in this procedure and it has become routine practice in many oral surgery departments within the UK and USA. A significant variance in thresholds for prescribing coronectomy and also for the technique of its delivery has been highlighted by a recent review. This has resulted in frequent queries about the technique and which patients may be suitable. Thus this paper aims to highlight some finer points of the coronectomy technique and how to avoid potential pitfalls.