Apicoectomy: Root End Surgery and How It Can Help You
Posted on 5/9/2022 by Ankur Johri
Many people know root canal therapy and how it helps patients with tooth infections. An apicoectomy is an endodontic treatment that proves helpful in patients with major or persistent teeth infections. In this procedure, an endodontist exposes the infected root structure and jawbone structure to remove the damaged or infected soft tissue at the end of the root of a tooth. An apicoectomy is also referred to as root-end-resection or retrograde root canal therapy.
How Apicoectomy Can Help You
Often, patients who have a failed root canal therapy may be recommended to undergo an apicoectomy procedure. A majority of root canal treatments work out well to eliminate an infection. But there is a little odd that a root canal could be ineffective at getting rid of the infected root pulp. When this happens, an apicoectomy is performed to help save a tooth from being extracted. The ideal candidates for root-end surgery are patients who have previously undergone a root canal, but the procedure proved ineffective.
An apicoectomy can only be successful if an infection hasn't spread to reach the jawbone. An endodontist will take X-rays and perform other advanced diagnostics to help determine if root-end resection is a suitable option for you. The dental specialist will put you under local anesthesia and then make an incision along the gumline to access the tip of the root and jawbone structure. Using special equipment, the endodontist gets a detailed view of your root canal in order to safely remove the damaged tissue.
Because the specialist removes the root tip, a small bone graft is placed on that area to ensure proper healing. The dental specialist then sutures the treatment site after the root-end surgical procedure. It is a procedure that takes about 30 to 90 minutes to perform. One of the ways root-end surgery helps patients is that it can help save a tooth, meaning you don't get your infected tooth extracted. And you know, if you extract a tooth, you will need to get implants, which increases the cost of treatment.
It is better to save a tooth than get an implant. Dental implants should come in when a tooth is badly damaged beyond repair. Visit our Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery office to find out more about root-end surgery or apicoectomy.
Dental Blog | Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Allentown, PA Check out the dental blog that Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Allentown, PA put together to educate our patients. Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 1251 S Cedar Crest Blvd #311, Allentown, PA 18103 + (610) 435-6161 + lehighoms.com + 12/4/2024 + Associated Words: oral surgeon Allentown PA +
Many people know root canal therapy and how it helps patients with tooth infections. An apicoectomy is an endodontic treatment that proves helpful in patients with major or persistent teeth infections. In this procedure, an endodontist exposes the infected root structure and jawbone structure to remove the damaged or infected soft tissue at the end of the root of a tooth. An apicoectomy is also referred to as root-end-resection or retrograde root canal therapy.