What does root resection entail?

Root resection involves the surgical procedure of removing one or more roots of a tooth while keeping the crown intact. This technique is typically performed when the roots are affected by severe periodontal disease or other issues that cannot be treated through conventional methods, such as scaling and root planing.

By preserving the crown, the tooth can still function within the arch, maintaining its aesthetics and helping to preserve the alveolar bone structure. This approach is particularly advantageous in multi-rooted teeth, such as molars, where the affected root can be removed to alleviate pain or infection, but the overall function of the tooth can still be retained with the remaining roots.

In contrast, simply removing the crown or extracting the entire tooth would not address the specific problem associated with only the root. Additionally, splitting the tooth into halves is not a standard approach in periodontal treatment and does not achieve the goal of preserving the crown while addressing root issues. Thus, the correct understanding of root resection emphasizes selectively dealing with the roots for therapeutic benefit while maintaining the tooth's functional and structural integrity.