The Surgical Side of Root Canals

Because nothing looks, functions, or feels like your own natural tooth, we go the extra mile to save it. If traditional root canal treatments won’t do the trick, we may recommend an apicoectomy, or surgical root canal therapy.

Why Would I Need an Apicoectomy?

After your endodontic consultation, we may recommend an apicoectomy when symptoms persist after a root canal. Most commonly, we perform an apicoectomy when the very tip of the root, along with its tiny, branching canals, becomes severely infected and needs to be removed. An apicoectomy lets Dr. Hank Bradford actually examine your roots and treat them at the tip.   

An apicoectomy might also be called for if your canals are too narrow for our instruments to clean or we are unable to clean to the tip of the canal and the symptoms and infections persist. This narrowing is often caused by calcium deposits which occur naturally in the pulp as a reaction of your tooth to trauma or infection. If the calcifications are too advanced, routine endodontic treatment would be incomplete due to blockages, thus an apicoectomy may be the next best course of action.

How Does an Apicoectomy Work?

This sophisticated microsurgical procedure involves making a small incision in your gums and skillfully proceeding to the tip of the root and underlying bone. It is here that infection and inflammation can linger and continue your discomfort. The tip of the root is removed and the bony area around the root is cleaned. The underside of the root is sealed with a biomaterial that not only seals the root but also induces bony healing and regeneration. The gum tissue is repositioned and tiny sutures close the area for final healing. Over time, your bone will heal and your tooth will function the way nature originally intended.

Again, ALL of our procedures are performed using a high-powered microscope. Seeing the details under a microscope is what translates to better success and treatment outcomes.