Furcation Involvement

The progress of inflammatory periodontal disease if left unabated, ultimately results in attachment loss sufficient enough to affect the bifurcation or trifurcation of multirooted teeth. The furcation is an area of complex anatomic morphology that may be difficult or impossible to be debridement by routine periodontal instrumentation. Detailed knowledge of the morphology of the multirooted teeth and their position in the dental arch is a fundamental pre-requisite for a proper understanding of problems which may occur when such teeth become involved with destructive periodontal disease. Routine home care methods may not keep the furcation area free of plaque. The presence of furcation involvement is one clinical finding that can lead to a diagnosis of advanced periodontitis and potentially to a less favorable prognosis for the affected tooth or teeth. Furcation involvement therefore presents both diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.