When evaluating a patient to begin treatment, the specialist is likely to identify a dental ankylosis or dentoalveolar; a pathology that prevents tooth displacement and affects its correct position within the dental arch.
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What is dental ankylosis all about?
First of all, it is important to understand how tooth movement works.
In the first place, there is something called the periodontal ligament, which is responsible for transmitting the masticatory forces that are impressed on the tooth, causing them to be absorbed by the alveolar bone.
In this sense, the periodontal ligament itself is in charge of protecting the tooth and granting it a certain degree of mobility under normal conditions. However, when specific forces are applied (orthodontics), its characteristics and adaptability also allow the movement of the piece.
In such a way that the dental ankylosis It becomes an anomaly in which the tooth adheres directly to the alveolar bone due to loss of the ligament; And although it is not an exclusive condition of children in the replacement stage, it is precisely at this time that most cases occur.
Why does dental ankylosis occur? What are your symptoms?
Although there is no precise cause for which this condition occurs, its diagnosis is closely related to patients who have suffered strong blows (trauma), infectious processes that affect even the alveolar bone and even hereditary genetic factors.
On the other hand, if we talk about the symptoms manifested by the dental ankylosisThe most obvious is infraocclusion; that it is nothing more than a half-erupted tooth, which does not reach the occlusal line (that is, the bite line where the rest of your teeth meet and coincide).
Obviously an expert eye can determine this by performing a physical evaluation, but also by analyzing and correctly reading x-rays of the mouth.
How should dental ankylosis be treated?
There are 2 ways to dentoalveolar ankylosis according to the type of teeth affected:
Ankylosis in missing teeth
Or what is the same; in milk teeth. Although it is the most common case, there may be 2 variants:
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- If the ankylated tooth has a replacement in progress; The extraction of the tooth is carried out to prevent it from altering in any way the eruption and development of the permanent tooth.
- When the tooth does not have a replacement (agenesis); the case should be evaluated and the specialist may suggest the preservation of the baby tooth or an extraction with the intention of placing a dental implant in the future.
Ankylosis in permanent teeth
When it comes to ankylosis in adults who have completed their dental replacement stage; the specialist may suggest the removal and placement of implants or that corrective surgery be applied to reposition the served with everything and bone.
Finally, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of taking preventive care of children's oral health; being essential to maintain strict control and permanent surveillance of their dental development, so that it is possible to immediately address the dentoalveolar ankylosis upon detection.
