About Apicoectomy
This information is intended for general information only and should not be considered as medical advice on the part of Health-Tourism.com. Any decision on medical treatments, after-care or recovery should be done solely upon proper consultation and advice of a qualified physician.
What is it?
Your teeth are kept in place by roots which extend into your jawbone. Front teeth often have one root. Other teeth, like molars and premolars, have two or more roots. The tip of each root is known as the apex.
An apicoectomy might be required when an infection grows or persists after root canal treatment or retreatment. An apicoectomy is at times referred to as endodontic microsurgery since the procedure is performed under a surgery microscope.
What it is used for? If a root canal gets infected once more after a root canal has been performed, it is usually due to an issue close to the apex of the root. Your dentist can perform an apicoectomy to repair the issue so the tooth does not need to be removed. An apicoectomy is performed only after a tooth has had at least one root canal procedure.
Oftentimes, a second root canal treatment is thought about before an apicoectomy. With advancements in technology, dentists usually may detect extra canals, which were not properly treated and can remove the infection by doing a second root canal procedure, hence preventing the need for an apicoectomy.
Preparation Your dentist might take X-rays and you might be offered antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory medication, an antimicrobial mouth rinses an antimicrobial before the procedure.
If you have hypertension or know that you have issues with the epinephrine in local anesthetics, just let your dentist be aware of at the consultation. The local anesthetic used for an apicoectomy has roughly twice as much epinephrine (same as adrenaline) as the anesthetics used when you get a filling. The additional epinephrine constricts your blood vessels to decrease bleeding close to the surgical site so the endodontist can easily see the root. You might feel your heart rate accelerate once you are given the local anesthetic; however, this will recede after a short while.
How it is performed - The endodontist will use a dye, which highlights fractures and cracks in the tooth. If the tooth is fractured or cracked, it might need to be removed, and the apicoectomy won't proceed.
- To finish the apicoectomy, three to four millimeters of the tooth's canal are cleaned and sealed. Many apicoectomies take between half an hour to one and a half hours, based on the location of the tooth along with the complexity of the root structure.
When to call a professional If you're having any swelling or pain from a tooth, which has had root canal treatment.
Risks : The primary risk is that the procedure might not work and the tooth might have to be extracted.
If the tooth is in the rear of your upper jaw, the infection may involve your sinuses, and your dentist might recommend decongestants and antibiotics.
The roots of the back teeth in the lower jaw are near some major nerves, so surgery on one of the teeth bears a minor risk of nerve damage. Nevertheless, your endodontist will use your X-rays to observe how near the roots are to the nerves, and the likelihood of anything taking place are very minimal.
An apicoectomy is often a long-term solution, and must last for the life of the tooth.
After care : You will get instructions from your endodontist regarding which drugs to take and the things you can drink and eat. You must ice the area for ten to twelve hours after the procedure, and rest during that time.
It might be more inflamed the second day after the surgery than the first day. Any discomfort often may be managed with over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) or prescription drugs.
To permit healing, you must refrain from consuming hard, crunchy foods, rinsing vigorously, brushing the area or smoking. Don't lift your lip to inspect the area, since this may interfere with blood-clot creation and loosen the sutures.
You might have some numbness in the area of procedure for a couple of days or weeks from the trauma of the procedure.
Your stitches will be taken out two to seven days after the surgery, and all swelling and soreness are often gone by 2 weeks’ days after the surgery.
Learn more about Apicoectomy