Apicoectomy Surgery
Why Surgery is Needed
A regular root canal cannot reach tiny cracks, extra canals, or infected areas at the very tip of the root, so the problem and pain keep coming back.
Surgery lets the specialist go directly to the root tip and nearby bone to clean out the infection, seal the root, and give the tooth a better chance of surviving without being pulled.
WHEN A ROOT CANAL ISN’T ENOUGH
When a root canal isn’t enough, it usually means that something is still bothering the tooth that a standard treatment alone cannot fully fix.
This can happen if there is a
- tiny crack
- a hidden extra canal
- infection at the very tip of the root that is hard to reach from inside the tooth
WHAT ENDODONTIC SURGERY CAN DO
Endodontic surgery can be used to locate fractures or hidden canals that do not appear on x-rays but still manifest pain in the tooth.
MOST COMMON SURGICAL OPTIONS
Damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone may also be treated with this procedure, and the most common surgery used to save damaged teeth is an apicoectomy or root-end resection.
STEP BY STEP
- An incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed tissue.
- The damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip.
- A root-end filling is placed to prevent reinfection of the root, and the gum is sutured.
- The bone naturally heals around the root over a period of months restoring full function.