A root end surgery, also known as apicoectomy, retrograde root canal treatment or root-end filling, is an endodontic surgical procedure whereby a tooth's root tip is removed & a root end cavity is prepared & filled with a biocompatible material. This is usually necessitated when a conventional root canal therapy had failed & a re-treatment was already unsuccessful or is not advised.

The problem:

An infection has occurred at the tip of the root of one of your teeth. You may well already have been given a course of antibiotics in an attempt to treat the infection.

Why do I need treatment?

If left untreated the infection is likely to develop into an abscess or cyst. As well as causing pain this can lead to the loss of bone surrounding the root. As a result the tooth will become loose.

What does treatment involve?

Your dentist will have already tried to get rid of the infection by removing the nerve of the tooth & placing a root filling. The infection now needs to be removed surgically in a procedure called an “apicoectomy”. This involves cleaning out the infection from the bone, removing a small portion of the tip of the root of the tooth & then sealing the root with a small filling. The whole procedure will take around 30 minutes from start to finish.

What can I expect after the operation?

When the local anaesthetic wears off a few hours after surgery there will be some discomfort. If it is likely to be very sore your surgeon will arrange pain killers for you. It might also be necessary to take a course of antibiotics. Some swelling can occur both inside & outside the mouth after surgery. This is usually most noticeable for about two days. It is important to keep the site of surgery as clean as possible for the first few weeks after surgery.