Apicoectomy: An Option When Root Canal Fails

A standard root canal procedure may not be an option for a patient with infected tissue, so the dentist may recommend an apicoectomy. Apicoectomy, also known as root end surgery, involves the removal of a tooth’s root apex and the surrounding tissue which is infected. This root end surgery is necessary if there is a repeated infection after a root canal treatment. If this is recommended for you, it indicates that traditional root canal treatment will not preserve your tooth. The only other option for an apicoectomy is to extract the tooth, which might cause damage to other healthy teeth. The goal is to keep your natural tooth in good working condition. KK Dental in Edison looks at how an apicoectomy is performed, what to expect before and after an apicoectomy, and why the minor procedure may be necessary.

Why Apicoectomy May Be Necessary

Different reasons make apicoectomy necessary. First, a new area of tooth decay on the tooth’s root may make the dentist suggest the Apicoectomy procedure. After undergoing a root canal you may experience mild to sharp pain when eating, spontaneous pain, and pits in your teeth, these are signs that you are developing a new tooth cavity. Visit your dental clinic and consult with the dentist about the symptoms and whether this may imply a root canal failure.

Another reason that makes apicoectomy obligatory is canal narrowing due to age. When the canal narrows, it becomes difficult to clean the canal, and therefore the root end surgery is carried out to remove the root tip and make it easier to clean the canal.

Cracked tooth root and infection that spreads into the tissue around the apex of the root are reasons that can make a doctor recommend apicoectomy. Apicoectomy is necessary in the case of cracked tooth root as there is a lot of pain when chewing, and removal of the root apex will treat this.

How Apicoectomy is Done

Before the root end surgery, the patient should visit their dental clinic and consult to see whether the treatment is necessary. An infection might spread all over the teeth, and the only viable option is tooth extraction, making the apicoectomy procedure impractical. The consultation involves a 3D scan to visualize the tooth.

An apicoectomy is done in a dental office with local anesthesia as it is a minor surgery. An incision is made through the gum in the area of infection. The infected tissue and tip of the root canal are removed.

The endodontist assesses the severity of the infection as bone grafting may be required to replace the bone eroded by the infection. Grafting assists in bone stimulation in the infected area.

What to Expect Before and After Surgery

Your dentist in Edison, New Jersey, will assess the severity of the infection and suggest whether you need anti-inflammatory drugs a day before the surgery to keep the infection at bay.

An X-ray is also carried out on the tooth and the surrounding area. An antimicrobial mouth rinse is also given to get your mouth in the best possible condition for surgery.

Local anesthesia is administered before the procedure. It will help numb the area and tooth root. Next, the infected tissue and the apex of the tooth root are removed, and then the dentist seals the incision with a small filling to prevent the further spread of bacteria. Finally, the incision in the gum tissue is sewn up so that the healing process may begin. It takes a few months for the area where the operation was performed to recover.

What to Expect Following Surgery

You may be given anti-inflammatory drugs to help manage soreness, pain, and sensitivity after apicoectomy. In addition, applying ice on the side of your cheek where the minor surgery was done will help reduce pain and swelling.

It is also recommended by dentists in Edison, NJ, to avoid crunchy foods, hard to chew foods, and to smoke until healing begins. Hard to chew and crunchy foods may loosen the stitches or dislodge the blood clot forming, which will lengthen the time to heal.