We are pleased to be able to offer apicoectomy to our patients who need relief from severe or recurrent tooth infections. Our experienced team will give you a stress-free apicoectomy procedure with long-lasting health benefits!

An apicoectomy is a minor surgical procedure that’s performed on a tooth that has an infection that is very difficult to treat, or an infection that has continued even after a traditional root canal. The point of an apicoectomy is to remove the very tip of a tooth’s root, also known as the tooth’s apex.

This procedure makes it possible for your tooth to recover from severe or ongoing infections. You can look forward to an apicoectomy as an effective tool that will eliminate tooth pain and make your smile feel good again!

Here at Surf City Endodontics, we’ll make sure your apicoectomy procedure is as comfortable as possible. While we may fine tune parts of the treatment to meet each individual’s needs, the general procedure is as follows:

• The first step in the procedure is a local anesthetic, which will make sure you don’t feel any pain or discomfort throughout the process. Next, Dr. Olson will make a small incision in the gum near the affected tooth.
• We will then use a powerful microscope and other specialized tools to carefully remove the root tips of the damaged tooth as well as any infected tissue in the area. Because the tips of these tooth roots are so small, very little material will be removed in total.
• Your dentist will also use these tools to make sure every space in the interior root canals has been accounted for, and there are no unaccounted-for passages or spaces where infection could take hold.
• Once the root tips have been removed, the interior root canals will be thoroughly cleaned and sealed. After this part of the procedure is finished, your dentist will suture the tissue and the healing process can begin.

Apicoectomies usually don’t require much healing time, which means you can get back to your regular life in no time!

If your dentist recommends an apicoectomy, it’s likely because a standard root canal treatment has not fully healed the infection in your tooth, or your infected tooth is a particularly difficult case. While root canals are generally a highly effective treatment and can reliably eliminate pain and cure infections, sometimes extra care is needed to get your teeth back to health!

Because an apicoectomy removes the tips of the tooth’s roots that connect the tooth to the jawbone, this procedure can ensure that a dental infection does not affect your jawbone. An apicoectomy will not only protect your teeth, but your bones as well!

Usually, the only practical alternative to an apicoectomy is to have the infected tooth removed completely. So don’t let the idea of an apicoectomy intimidate you—this treatment will make it possible for you to keep your natural teeth!

Because an apicoectomy is a very minor surgery, you should expect a straightforward and comparatively short recovery period. You should be able to continue your regular activities the day after your treatment.

While there may be some slight swelling or discomfort as your gums heal, your dentist will be able to advise you on how best to handle these recovery side effects. Usually all that’s required is over-the-counter pain medications, although if your pain is long-lasting or seems particularly severe, don’t hesitate to ask your dentist for further advice!