Root amputation: a new look into an old procedure

A treatment option for managing furcation invasions is root amputation. Long-term survival of resected molars requires a complete harmony of sequential endodontic, periodontic, restorative and maintenance procedures. The main objective of this article is to provide a concise historical perspective of this procedure and to review available literature regarding its efficacy and limitations. It also illustrates a current modification of the procedure using guided bone regeneration (GBR) and socket preservation to eliminate some of the potential disadvantages of the traditional root amputation procedure.