Apicectomy is an oral surgery procedure whereby the root of a tooth and the surrounding tissue is removed in order to get rid of infection. It is not an alternative to a root canal treatment and is typically performed when it is not possible to redo the root canal. Because of this, it is considered by our expert orthodontists and dental surgeons to be a last resort alternative to removing your tooth altogether.

The Procedure

Our experts begin by taking an x-ray of your jaw to check the end of the root anatomy. A local anesthesia will then be administered to the affected area to fully numb it so that the procedure is completely pain free. Our dental surgeons and orthodontists then ease back the gum tissue around the affected tooth to expose any infected tissue – this is then removed. The tip of the root is also removed and a tooth filling material is placed at the apex of your tooth to seal it. Our experts then suture back together your gum and the site is reviewed a week later.

Apicectomy Aftercare

We recommend that you take painkillers after surgery – Ibuprofen is the best as it also works to reduce inflammation. Using chlorhexidine mouthwash can help to reduce the amount of localised gum inflammation that you experience.