Apicoectomy after Root Canal

A root canal is a treatment that is used to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. During root canal treatment, your dentist cleans the canals using special instruments called files to remove inflamed or infected tissue. When an infection develops or won’t go away after root canal treatment or retreatment, one of our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania may need to perform an apicoectomy.

Root canals may become re-infected for a variety of reasons. These include new or recurrent decay, previously undetected accessory (extra) canals branching from the primary canal at the root end of the tooth, and occasionally, calcification of canals. An apicoectomy is done only after a tooth has had at least one root canal procedure and retreatment has not been successful. It is a minor surgical procedure in which the very tip of the tooth’s root is removed and sealed.

If you have a tooth infection related to a root canal gone wrong, give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visitwww.oralsurgerypa.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania located in Philadelphia, call 215-463-4141. 

Apicoectomy May Save Your Tooth

Root canals already have a bad reputation, but in the event that the root canal does not work, this can be frustrating, not to mention painful! The doctors here at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania are experienced in performing apicoectomies for when root canal therapy fails.

When a root canal becomes infected again after one or more root canals have already been performed, an apicoectomy may be performed. An apicoectomy is when the root tip of a tooth is removed and the infected debris is cleaned out. A filling is then placed to seal the root tip. This saves the tooth from being extracted.

Your doctor will cut the gum away from the affected tooth so the root is accessible. The root tip will be removed, as well as the infected tissue. The root canal will be cleaned and then sealed. Your doctor will then stitch or suture the gums that were cut. Afterwards, the bone tissue around of the tip of the root will heal around the newly healthy and sealed tip.

If you have had one or more root canals, but the infection keeps coming back, you may benefit from an apicoectomy. Schedule an appointment at any of our four Philadelphia, PA area locations. For more information, please visit our website, www.oralsurgerypa.com.