apical curettage

apical curettage

Etymology: L, apex; Fr, scraping

the debridement of the apical surface of a tooth and the removal of diseased soft tissues in the surrounding bony crypt. Compare apicoectomy, root curettage, subgingival curettage.

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apical (ap´ikl),

adj pertaining to the end portion of the root.

apical curettage,

n the surgical removal of diseased tissue surrounding a root apex.

apical fiber,

n See fiber, apical.

apical foramen,

n See foramen, apical.

apical third,

adj the inferior third of a tooth's root or root canal.

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curettage (ky´rtäzh´),

n the scraling with a curet.

curettage, angle for gingival,

n an angle between 45° and 90° at which the curet should be held against the gingiva to clean out a pocket effectively. See also curettage, subgingival.

curettage, apical,

n (apoxesis), the curettement of diseased periapical tissue without excision of the root tip. See also curettage, subgingival.

curettage, gingival,

n See curettage, subgingival.

curettage, gingival, closed,

n See curettage, subgingival.

n the accidental removal of the gingival tissues with typical surgical instrument usage.

curettage, infrabony pocket,

n the enucleation, by means of suitable instrumentation, of the inflammatory soft tissue elements lying within and surrounding the crest of an infrabony resorptive defect; also includes the debridement and planing of the root surface of the pocket.

curettage, root (root planing),

n the debridement and planing to smoothness of the root surface of a tooth to eliminate deposits on the root.

curettage, subgingival,

n the process of debridement of the epithelial attachment, the ulcerated and entire (pocket) epithelium, and subjacent inflamed and altered gingival tissues. The procedure is no longer recommended for the health of the periodontium.