Avaliação de pacientes submetidos à coronectomia por alunos de graduação em odontologia

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of coronectomy when performed by undergraduate dental students, comparing two distinct groups: students who received only theoretical instruction and one student who underwent additional practical training prior to performing the procedures. This is a retrospective and longitudinal case series comprising patients who underwent coronectomy between 2015 and 2022 at the School of Dentistry of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Data analysis was subsequently conducted between 2023 and 2025. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were assessed, including fractal and lacunarity analyses, with short-term follow-up (up to 7 days after the procedure) involving the evaluation of pain, swelling, local infection, and dry socket, and long-term follow-up (from 30 days onward) including quantitative sensory testing such as mechanical detection threshold, mechanical pain threshold, temporal summation ratio, allodynia, and thermal sensitivity, as well as the measurement of root migration and bone regeneration assessment on panoramic radiographs, all processed with the ImageJ software. The sample consisted of 25 patients (33 teeth), most of whom were female (76%). No cases of infection or dry socket were recorded, and only one patient presented with mild paresthesia without functional impairment. Root migration occurred in 58% of cases, with an average displacement of 2.53 ± 2.36 mm, showing no statistically significant difference between the analyzed time points. Fractal analysis indicated a physiological bone regeneration pattern compatible with the adjacent bone, while lacunarity assessment demonstrated a homogeneous trabecular distribution consistent with the regenerative process. The results demonstrate that coronectomy, even when performed by properly guided or trained undergraduate students, has a low complication rate, is clinically and sensorially safe, and promotes satisfactory bone regeneration. Therefore, the technique can be considered a viable option for inclusion in undergraduate clinical training in dentistry, contributing to surgical education without compromising patient safety.