Surgical Endodontics

Most of the time a root canal will be successful in preserving the tooth. However, occasionally this treatment alone is not sufficient to alleviate the pain or infection. Sometimes endodontic surgery/apicoectomy is the best way or only way to maintain your tooth. 

An incision is made in the gums to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed tissue. The damaged tissue is removed along with the very end of the root tip. 

A root-end filling is placed to prevent re-infection of the tooth. You will leave with multiple sutures and will return in about a week to remove the sutures. Once the source of the infection is removed the bone naturally heals around the root over a period of months. This is at times the final step to save your tooth.