One of the first signs that you need root canal treatment is infection. If you had an abscess in a tooth, then your dentist will have treated the infection inside it.
While this works most of the time, sometimes people have further problems with infections after root canal work. If you have to keep going back to your dentist because your infection flares up, then they may recommend that you have an apicoectomy procedure. What is an apicoectomy, and why do you need one?
What Is an Apicoectomy?
An apicoectomy procedure is another way of treating infection in the root of a tooth. To start with, your dentist drilled down into the tooth to access the root canals. They then removed problem tissue and cleaned out the tooth.
If you're still getting infections after this procedure, then you may have some infection left right at the tip of the root at the very bottom of the tooth. This area can be hard to reach from above, but is easier to manage with an apicoectomy.
Here, your dentist accesses the tip of the root through the gum rather than down through the tooth. They cut into the gum to locate the tip and then remove it and treat the area. Your gum is then stitched up.
Why Do You Need an Apicoectomy?
If teeth are in a bad way, then dentists may recommend extraction rather than apicoectomy. However, if the tooth is salvageable, or if you want it in place to hold a crown, then your dentist may want to keep the tooth. An apicoectomy makes this more feasible.
While root canal work fixes most abscess problems, it doesn't work on all teeth. Your dentist will have done all they can to fix the root in your tooth. But sometimes, this just isn't possible in a standard root canal treatment.
Recurring infections in a tooth should be treated. You can't simply take antibiotics every time your tooth flares up. They'll deal with immediate pain and swelling, but they won't deal with the underlying infection itself. Left alone, this infection can spread and damage other teeth and areas of your mouth. It'll keep returning.
So you should get it sorted out once and for all. If your dentist does apicoectomies, then you can have this done in your clinic; however, in some cases your dentist may refer you to an endodontist if you need specialist treatment.
