Apicoectomy

An apicoectomy may be needed when an infection develops or persists after root canal treatment or retreatment. During root canal treatment, the canals are cleaned, and inflamed or infected tissue is removed. Root canals are very complex, with many small branches off the main canal. Sometimes, even after root canal treatment, infected debris can remain in these branches and possibly prevent healing or cause re-infection later. In an apicoectomy, the root tip, or apex, is removed along with the infected tissue. A filling is then placed to seal the end of the root.

If a root canal becomes infected again after a root canal has been done, it's often because of a problem near the apex of the root. Your dentist can do an apicoectomy to fix the problem so the tooth doesn't need to be extracted. An apicoectomy is done only after a tooth has had at least one root canal procedure.