When pain and infection persist after root canal treatment or retreatment, an apicoectomy may be needed.
Usually, a tooth that has undergone a root canal can last for a very long time, even the rest of your life, and never need further endodontic treatment . However, in few cases, a tooth may not heal or may become re-infected. A tooth may become painful or diseased months or even years after successful treatment. If this occurs, root canal surgery may help save your tooth. The most common surgery used to save damaged teeth which have already undergone a root canal procedure is an apicoectomy or root-end resection.
Other reasons for endodontic surgery are for diagnosis, allowing your dentist to examine the entire root of your tooth, find the problem, and provide treatment, and to treat damaged root surfaces or surrounding bone.
Performed by an oral surgeon, the procedure begins with a tiny, minimally-invasive incision which is made to open the gum tissue near the tooth. The oral surgeon then removes the infected tissue at the very tip of the root.
Once that process is completed, the end of the tooth canal is cleaned and sealed with a small biocompatible filling to prevent re-infection. The gum tissue is then sutured to help the tissue heal properly. Following surgery, the bone will naturally heal around the end of the root and restore the tooth’s full function.
Most apicoectomy procedures take between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the location of the tooth and the complexity of the root structure.
Apicoectomy is just one of the many state-of-the-art procedures we offer for patients of all ages. If you’ve had root canal treatment or retreatment and are still experiencing pain, contact Park Avenue Oral & Facial Surgery today.