An apicoectomy is performed as an option to save a tooth after the bone around the root tip has become infected or cysts have emerged and a previous root canal treatment has failed. Cutting off the root tip allows for the removal of any inflamed or infected jaw tissue.
Root-treated teeth are dead teeth. Even the most perfect root treatment cannot prevent the canals from becoming reinfected. The symptoms are frequently diagnosed as incidental findings on a radiograph. Specialists use X-rays that create three-dimensional views to diagnose the extent of the inflamed tissue. Although often painless, it is essential that chronic inflammations be treated, as they pose serious health hazards.
The intervention is carried out under local anesthesia and is completely painless. A small incision is made in the gum tissue allowing for the removal of any inflamed or infected tissue along with the root tip itself. To complete the apicoectomy, the dentist will seal the end of the tooth’s canal using special cement and an operating microscope before a few stitches are placed to assure that the gum tissue is closed again.
