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Apicoectomies

It may happen that a root canal treatment isn’t enough to fix an inflamed tooth. In these cases, an apicoectomy might be needed. If your tooth is swollen and causing you pain after a root canal procedure, your dentist may recommend an apicoectomy. This is a relatively common dental treatment that we’ve been carrying out in our clinic for years.

What Is An Apicoectomy?

In most cases, a root canal treatment is enough to fix an inflamed, infected tooth. Generally, a tooth won’t require any further endodontic treatment after this procedure. But sometimes, teeth may become reinfected, even years after a root canal. In these cases, the best chance at saving the tooth is often an apicoectomy, or a root-end resurrection.

Endodontic surgeries are also useful for diagnostic purposes. Dentists may need to see the entire root of a tooth, and physically examine it before providing proper treatment. Treating a damaged root and the surrounding bone is often only possible through an endodontic procedure such as an apicoectomy.

What Does an Apicoectomy Look Like?

Apicoectomies are carried out under local anesthesia, meaning that the procedure is painless. During the treatment, the inflamed gum tissue is removed, along with the end of the root. The top of the tooth stays in place, leaving it fully intact and alive. Apicoectomies are performed at our clinic by a specialist. They are commonly known as a “microsurgery”, as the whole procedure only takes between 30 to 90 minutes. The exact time will depend on the tooth's location, complexity of the root, and extent of the inflammation.

The procedure will start with the dentist creating a minimally-invasive incision. This is done in order to open up the gum tissue around the tooth. Then, the infected tissue is removed at the tip of the root. After the infection is cleared, the tooth canal is cleaned of any debris. It's then sealed with a biocompatible filling material. This is done to prevent re-infection, and any debris entering the canal. The gum tissue around the tooth is then sutured, which helps to fully heal the area.

After the procedure is complete, the bone surrounding the end of the root will heal naturally. The tooth will be fully functioning after the procedure is completed and the area has healed.

What Will The Aftercare Process Look Like?

The average success rate of apicoectomies is 97%. This means your chances of having to come back for further procedures is extremely low. However, the healing process does take a few months, and aftercare must be paid attention to.

Immediately after the procedure, the following symptoms can be expected:

Light bleeding

Swelling around the tooth

Pain medication side effects like fatigue and dizziness

Taking care of your tooth after the procedure is crucial. The following steps must be followed with care:

Regularly clean the area

Avoid irritating the tooth and surrounding area

Take prescriptions as directed

Avoid activities that could result in any trauma to the mouth

Adjust your diet as needed

The sutures will dissolve around 6 weeks after the procedure is completed. Many patients will find that their tooth is healed after just a few months. But for new tissue to fill the cavity, patients may have to wait up to 6 months. This depends on the complexity of the procedure. Recovery will be pain-free after the first few days post surgery. It's only important to keep the tooth clean and protected.

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