What is an Apicoectomy?
An apicoectomy is a type of endodontic surgery. It’s simply a root end surgery or root resection. Apicoectomy is usually done when a root canal is unsuccessful. In this procedure, Dr. Dale or Dr. opens the gum tissue near the tooth to see the underlying bone and remove any inflamed or infected tissue. The tooth’s root tip is removed and a root cavity is filled with biocompatible material. The purpose of this treatment is to reduce the infection in the root canal system and seal it to prevent bacteria.
This procedure can save your tooth from being extracted. It’s sometimes called a “surgical root canal” because the procedure is more invasive than a traditional root canal.
Some of the common causes for failures of a root canal can be:
- Cysts around the tooth
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Root channels that can’t be cleaned
