Oral Surgery: What Is an Apicoectomy?

Root canal therapy does not always involve oral surgery. In the same vein, root canal therapy is not always successful. Such scenarios force dentists to choose more aggressive treatment options. One such option is an apicoectomy.

Apicoectomy: A type of oral surgery

An apicoectomy, or root-end surgery, is a minor procedure that involves the removal of the root tip. The apex or tip of the root is the end of the root that is closest to the tooth surface. A dentist will only recommend an apicoectomy if a root canal fails the first or second time around.

A dentist will recommend a root canal as a treatment option for pulpitis or an infection of the inner tooth. They will remove the inner part of the tooth while leaving the external structure of the tooth intact. The end goal of the procedure is to save a dying tooth from extraction by removing the infected inner tooth and leaving the outer structure intact.

Root canal therapy fails if infection reoccurs on the same tooth. Having removed the living tissue inside the crown, the dentist will opt for a slightly more aggressive measure. They will do this in an effort to save the tooth from extraction.

What happens during an apicoectomy?

Root-end surgery is a minor procedure that a patient goes through under local anesthesia. Barring complications during surgery, the entire process takes no more than 90 minutes. Here is how the procedure goes:

1. First, the dentist numbs the patient with a local anesthetic. Patients who suffer from anxiety can request sedation dentistry
2. Next, the dentist removes any dental restoration that covers and reinforces the tooth. In most cases, the restoration takes the form of a dental crown
3. The removal of the restoration allows the dentist to gauge the extent of the damage caused by the infection. It also provides full access to the gum tissue at the base of the tooth
4. To expose the top of the tooth root, the dentist starts by making an incision on the gum, right at the base of the tooth
5. They will remove any inflamed and infected gum tissue
6. This exposes the tip of the tooth root, which the dentist removes
7. After they remove all the infected tissue, the dentist adds a restoration to the tooth and sutures the surgical site

The patient gets to go home as soon as the anesthetic wears off. They go home with instructions to take the rest of the day off and limit their activity level for a few days. The dentist will also give a set of after-care instructions to help with the healing of the surgical site. These instructions cover pain management, hygiene and symptoms of post-surgery complications.

Recovery time

It only takes a day of rest before a patient can resume their regular activities. That being said, the person should avoid any activities that could cause their sutures to come loose or cause some other type of injury. The soft tissue heals after a week, or three. It takes a couple of weeks for new bone to grow around the truncated tooth root.

Don't let a failed root canal take away your tooth

The best way to replace a tooth is not to replace it at all. An apicoectomy is a way to salvage a tooth after a root canal fails. Our dentist has years of experience in minor oral surgery. Call us to book an appointment today.

Request an appointment here: or call Gilroy Dental Associates at (408) 842-2818 for an appointment in our Gilroy office.

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