Treatment
Endodontic microsurgery in Melton Mowbray
When an infection lingers at the tip of a root and cannot be treated from inside the tooth, a small surgical procedure can remove the infected root tip and seal the canal from the outside. It is carried out under local anaesthetic, takes about an hour and offers a tooth that would otherwise be lost a further chance.
When surgery is the right choice
- infection that persists after root canal treatment or retreatment;
- a tooth with a post and a sound crown that would be damaged by reopening it;
- a canal that is blocked or sharply curved near the tip;
- a cyst or lesion at the root tip that needs removing;
- a broken instrument or excess filling material beyond the end of the root.
Surgery is recommended after careful assessment and the right X-rays, when it offers the tooth a better chance than retreatment or extraction.
The procedure
- Anaesthetic. The area is numbed with local anaesthetic, as for a filling.
- Access. A small flap of gum is lifted and a tiny window made in the bone over the root tip.
- Removing the infection. The last few millimetres of the root and the infected tissue around it are removed.
- Sealing the root end. A small cavity is prepared in the cut root surface and filled with a biocompatible material.
- Closing. The gum is replaced and held with fine stitches, which are removed about a week later.
You will feel pressure and hear the instruments, but the procedure itself is not painful.
Recovery
Some swelling and perhaps bruising for a few days is normal and is managed with cold packs and ordinary painkillers. Most people return to work the following day. Keep the area clean with a gentle mouthwash rather than brushing it in the first week, avoid strenuous exercise for a day or two and return for stitch removal. Bone healing is checked on an X-ray after several months.
Success and alternatives
Modern root-end surgery, performed with magnification and current materials, has good success rates. As always, the outlook depends on the individual tooth — its bone support, the quality of its crown and whether a crack is present. We compare it honestly with retreatment and with extraction and replacement before you decide.