Endodontic Surgery

What Is an Apicoectomy (Apical Resection)?

Infections can develop in the roots of teeth as a result of decay or trauma. This infection can spread from the tooth root to the jawbone and cause inflammation around the root. In the initial stage, it is possible to cure the tooth with root canal treatment. In more advanced cases, however, this inflamed tissue at the root tip must be removed with a surgical procedure called apical resection (apicoectomy).

In which situations is apical resection performed?

Cases may be encountered in which root canal treatment has failed. The canals of the tooth may be narrow or curved, there may be no response to previous root canal treatments, or the infection at the root tip may have progressed too far to be eliminated with root canal treatment. In patients in whom root canal treatment is insufficient or could not be carried out properly, endodontic surgery (root-end resection) is recommended. In this case, instead of extracting the tooth, the root tip is reached with a surgical intervention, and part of the tooth root is removed together with the infected tissue or cyst. This procedure can be performed on all teeth, including molars. However, the tooth must have undergone root canal treatment before the procedure. This procedure must be carried out meticulously, because in some cases it may have to be repeated. It is also important for the patient to be checked regularly after the operation.

Will I feel pain during the procedure, and what happens afterwards?

Apical resection is a surgical procedure performed under local anaesthesia, so no pain is felt during the procedure. With regular use of the appropriate medication, no pain is experienced afterwards either. Mild swelling that may last a few days after the operation is normal.