Endodontic microsurgery (also known as apicoectomy) involves removing a small portion of the root tip and surrounding infected tissues.
In order to remove infection within the tooth, access to the root canal system is required but this may not be possible as the canals can sometimes be blocked by a fractured instrument or complex restorations. An alternative would be to access the root canal system from the root-end instead.
Advanced technologies that we incorporate in our specialist clinic such as 3D imaging and operating microscopes allow our specialist endodontist to perform the microsurgery successfully and with minimal recovery time.
Procedure
Our Endodontist will apply local anaesthesia before lifting a small section of your gum tissues to access the underlying bone and remove any infected or inflamed tissues. The root tip of the infected tooth will be removed and a filling placed into the root canal from the root-end before fine stitches are carefully placed to help the gum tissues heal.
Recovery
As with any surgical procedure, healing time is slightly longer than traditional root canal treatment but often no different to a tooth extraction. It is recommended to take 1 to 2 days off work but our specialist will ensure that adequate pain medications are prescribed to minimise discomfort during the recovery process. Modern surgical techniques and specialised equipment allows us to make precise incisions that result in minimal scarring that is often not noticeable.
Questions?
Please contact our friendly team