Apicoectomy/Endontic Surgery

All dentists receive some training in endodontic treatment in dental school.  However, because endodontic surgery can be more challenging than providing non-surgical treatment many dentists refer patients needing surgery to endodontists such as Dr. D'Amelio.

Endodontic surgery can help in the following situations:

• Surgery can be used in diagnosis.  If there are persistent problems with a tooth, surgery allows Dr. D'Amelio to examine the root to find the problem and provide the necessary treatment.
• It can help to eliminate unusual and undetectable root end anatomy and provide a proper root end seal.
• Sometimes pupil calcification makes it difficult for cleaning and shaping instruments to reach the end of the root.  Endodontic surgery helps to clean and seal the remainder of the root.
• Impossible to adequately retreat a previous root canal treated tooth due to canal obstructions that can not be removed
• To treat damaged root surfaces or surrounding bone.

The most common surgery used to save a tooth is an apicoectomy or root end resection.  When inflammation or infection persists in the bony area around the end of your tooth and root canal retreatment is not an option an apicoectomy may be indicated.

In the apicoectomy procedure Dr. D'Amelio will open the gum tissue near the tooth to see the underlying bone and to remove any inflamed or infected tissue.  The damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip.  A root-end filling is placed to prevent re-infection of the root and the gum is sutured.  In the absence of infection or inflammation the bone will naturally heal around the root over a period of a few months.