Furcation defect

Bone loss from aggressive periodontitis that led to an exposed furcation on an upper molar. In health, the bone exists about a millimeter and a half away from the cementoenamel junction, which is the line that separates the crown from the root trunk (the line can be seen clearly in the photo).
Evidence of furcal bone loss on #18 (lower left permanent second molar), along with a mesial vertical defect on the same tooth. The bent "stick" on the left of the tooth is a piece of gutta percha being used to trace the defect.

In dentistry, a furcation defect is bone loss, usually a result of periodontal disease, affecting the base of the root trunk of a tooth where two or more roots meet (bifurcation or trifurcation). The extent and configuration of the defect are factors in both diagnosis and treatment planning.[1]

A tooth with a furcation defect typically possessed a more diminished prognosis owing to the difficulty of rendering the furcation area free from periodontal pathogens. For this reason, surgical periodontal treatment may be considered to either close the furcation defect with grafting procedures or allow greater access to the furcation defect for improved oral hygiene.

  1. ^ Ammons WF, Harrington GW: Furcation, The Problem and Its Management. In Newman, Takei, Carranza, editors: Carranza's Clinical Periodontology, 9th Edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. 2002. page 826-7.