Article reprinted with the permission of DVM360 , AUGUST 2010 , DVM360 Magazine is a copyrighted publication of Advanstar . Communications inc . All rights reserved .
The ABCs of veterinary dentistry
" F " is for furcation disease
DENTISTRY
A buildup of calculus and plaque in this area can make a tooth prone to attachment loss , causing serious , painful disease if not caught early .
By Jan Bellows , DVM , DAVDC , DABVP , FAVD
The furcation is a normal anatomical region where the roots begin to diverge in a multirooted tooth . Normally , this area is sealed from the oral environment by the periodontium ( gingiva , periodontal ligament , alveolar bone , cementum ). Accumulation of plaque and calculus buccally often results in periodontal inflammation and infection . Extension of periodontal disease between the tooth roots directly exposes the furcation to the oral environment , resulting in attachment loss that allows food and debris to lodge in the space ( Figure 1A ).
Intra-oral radiographs are helpful in diagnosing furcation invasion . Radiolucency in the furcation suggests furcation disease . The slightest radiographic change in the furcation should be investigated clinically . Interradicular ( between the roots ) bone loss is usually greater than it appears in the radiograph ( Figure 1B ).
The most common cause of furcation disease is extension of periodontal infection , resulting in interradicular bone resorption and formation of a progressive defect ( Figures 2A- 2C ).
Figure 1A . The furcation ( arrow ) of a dog ' s maxillary fourth premolar . Note the line of decreased periodontal ligament attachment secondary to periodontal disease . ( All photos courtesy of Dr . Jan Bellows )
Figure 1B . A radiograph of the left mandible revealing furcation disease affecting the second and fourth premolars and first molar .
Issue 05 | FEBRUARY 2017 | 31