Endodontic Surgery

What is Endodontic Surgery?

Occasionally, a nonsurgical root canal procedure alone cannot save your tooth and surgery will be recommended. An apicoectomy, or root-end resection, is occasionally needed when inflammation or infection persists in the bony area around the end of your tooth after a root canal procedure. In this microsurgical procedure, an opening is made in the 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 to seal the end of the root canal and few stitches or sutures are placed to help the tissue heal. Over a period of months, the bone heals around the end of the root.

Local anesthetics make the procedure comfortable, and most patients return to their normal activities the next day. Postsurgical discomfort is generally mild. Of course, you may feel some discomfort or experience slight swelling while the incision heals. This is normal for any surgical procedure. Our doctors will recommend appropriate pain medication to alleviate your discomfort.

Endodontic Surgery Alternatives

Often, the only alternative to surgery is extraction of the tooth. There are specific scenarios when the only treatment option is extraction of the tooth. The extracted tooth must then be replaced with an implant, bridge, or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and to prevent adjacent teeth from shifting.