Apicectomy

If your patient has developed an infection at the tip of the root of one of their teeth an apicectomy may be recommended

Many patients may have already been prescribed a course of antibiotics in an attempt to treat the infection. If this infection is not appropriately treated, it can lead to the development of an abscess or a cyst that can even lead to tooth loss.

In cases where root canal treatment has failed to remove the infection, you may wish to recommend your patients explore an apicectomy procedure with Dr Anthony Naim.

During this procedure the infection is surgically removed by cleaning the infection from the jawbone, removing a small amount of the tip of the root of the tooth and sealing the root off from further infection with a small filling. This whole procedure should take around 30 minutes. An apicectomy is generally performed under local anaesthetic to minimise any feelings of discomfort.

What can be expected after the operation?

Patients generally report mild but tolerable discomfort after an apicectomy and may require a day or two away from work and strenuous exercise. Some swelling may be experienced by patients both inside and outside of the mouth after surgery. This typically reduces after a few days. We recommend patients rinse their mouth with salty water or mouth wash on the day after surgery.