Do you need endodontic treatment such as an apicoectomy? Call our office today.
What is endodontic surgery?
Endodontic surgery is a procedure by which the gingival(gum) tissues are reflected to expose a chronic infection or cyst around the tooth. This lesion is then removed, the ends of the roots are sealed with a biocompatible material, and the reflected tissues are sutured and put back in place.
There are several different types of endodontic surgery such as:
Apicoectomy
Division of a tooth
Root repair
Root removal
Intentional replantation
The most common type of endodontic surgery is the apicoectomy.
In this procedure, the endodontist opens the gum tissue near the tooth to see the underlying bone and to remove any inflamed or infected tissue. The very end of the root is also removed.
A small filling may be placed in the root to seal the end of the root canal, and a few stitches or sutures are placed in the gingiva to help the tissue heal properly.
Over a period of months, the bone heals around the end of the root. - aae.org
Apicoectomy - Tissue Retraction
Apicoectomy - Root-End Filling
Apicoectomy - Healing Bone
Pittsburgh Endodontics will evaluate your specific situation during your consultation. After a completed evaluation, they will discuss what they feel is the best option for you to move forward.
Why would you need endodontic surgery?
If you have persistent symptoms but no problems appear on your x-ray, your tooth may have a tiny fracture or canal that could not be detected during nonsurgical treatment. In such a case, surgery allows your endodontist to examine the entire root of your tooth, find the problem, and provide treatment. - aae.org
Sometimes “calcification” can occur, which makes the canal too narrow to perform a nonsurgical root canal. Surgery is then required to clean and seal the remainder of the canal.
Occasionally, a tooth that has undergone a root canal may not heal properly or become infected months or years after successful treatment. In the event this happens, surgery could help save your tooth.
Surgery may also be performed to treat damaged root surfaces or surrounding bone.
Will the procedure hurt?
Local anesthetics make the procedure comfortable. Of course, you may feel some discomfort or experience slight swelling while the incision heals. This is normal for any surgical procedure. Appropriate pain medication will be recommended to alleviate your discomfort.
Recovery time can vary, but most patients return to their routine activities the next day.
What are the alternatives to endodontic surgery?
Extraction of the tooth is usually the only alternative to surgery.
Extraction then leads to implants, bridges, or removable dentures to restore chewing function and to prevent adjacent teeth from shifting.
This can be very expensive and while modern tooth replacements can be very effective, nothing is as good as a natural tooth.