The main goal of our
Lisle root canal specialist is to save your teeth and, usually, root canal treatment is sufficient. However, with some patients, Dr. Linda Ricks sometimes feels that an apicoectomy, or root-end resection, may be needed when an infection develops after root canal treatment. Infected or inflamed tissues are removed during root canal treatment, and the canals are cleaned. Root canals are very intricate, with many small “branches” off the central canal. There are cases that even after root canal treatment, infected fragments can linger in these branches and sometimes prevent healing or even cause re-infection. If a root canal becomes infected again after a root canal has been done, it's often because of a problem near the tip of the root. The most common surgery used to save these damaged teeth is an apicoectomy, where the root tip is removed along with the infected tissue and a filling is then positioned to seal off the end of the root. The gum is sutured and over a period of months, the bone naturally heals around the root, restoring full function.
Lisle Root End Resection
An apicoectomy is often referred to as endodontic microsurgery because our
Lisle root canal specialist performs the procedure under an operating microscope. An apicoectomy will save your tooth from extraction, but is only done after a tooth has had at least one root canal procedure. In some cases, Dr. Ricks has considered a second root canal treatment before an apicoectomy but that depends on the patient and their specific condition. With modern advances in dental technology, our
Lisle root canal specialist can often detect additional canals that were not treated properly and can clear up any infection by doing a second root canal procedure, which would then avoid the need for an apicoectomy.
Well educated and trained in this procedure, Dr. Ricks will consult with you prior to any treatment, and will most likely take x-rays and give you an antimicrobial mouth rinse as well as anti-inflammatory medication or antibiotics prior to surgery. Local anesthesia will also be discussed as this is normally used along with an apicoectomy. Most apicoectomies take between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the difficulty of the root structure and the location of the tooth. Dr. Ricks will discuss all the details and procedures to follow at home to allow for proper and speedy healing. Your stitches will be removed 2 to 7 days after the apicoectomy procedure, and any mild swelling or soreness is usually gone within 2 weeks of the suregery. Even though an apicoectomy is considered surgery, many of our patients tell us that it’s easier then recovering from a regular root canal.
Lisle Endodontic Surgery
Linda Ricks, DDS, MS, PC
1112 South Washington, Suite 206
Naperville, Illinois 60540
630-687-1590
By Linda Ricks, DDS, MS, PC
June 6, 2013
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