Endodontic Surgery in Mississauga
Depending on the severity of the issue, a root canal (non-surgical endodontic treatment) alone may not be sufficient to save a tooth. In some cases, patients experience persistent symptoms such as pain or inflammation, even when issues are not apparent on X-rays. If this happens, your endodontist may recommend endodontic surgery.
An apicoectomy or root-end resection is one of the most common surgical procedures performed by our specialists at Limited to Endodontics. If you suffer from persistent inflammation or infections in the bony area around the end of your tooth, your endodontist may perform an apicoectomy.
Our team utilizes dental technologies and a range of treatment practices to help our patients feel as comfortable as possible before, during and after their procedure. Patients can often return to their normal daily activities within 24 hours of receiving treatment.
Benefits of Endodontic Surgery
For many people, a tooth that has had a root canal is able to last a lifetime and never require further endodontic treatment. However, if the tooth does not heal correctly or becomes infected with decay, you may experience pain or discomfort months or even years after successful treatment.
That's where endodontic surgery is often beneficial. If you have persistent symptoms but your X-rays do not show any problems, surgery can give our specialists an opportunity to examine the entire tooth root, identify the issue and effectively treat the problem.
Our endodontists perform each surgery with the help of dental technologies such as digital imaging and microscopes.
Endodontic Surgery FAQs
Wondering whether endodontic surgery could help to relieve your symptoms? Read through the answers to our most frequently asked questions to learn more.
- What happens during endodontic surgery?
During an apicoectomy (the most common endodontic surgical procedure), the endodontist opens the gum tissue near the tooth to expose the underlying bone, and the infected tissue is removed. The very end of the root is also removed, and a small filling may be placed to seal the root canal.
Local anesthetics make the procedure comfortable, and most patients return to their normal activities the next day. You may also need stitches to be placed in the gums to help the tissue heal correctly. Over a few months, the bone will heal around the end of the root.
- Are there other types of endodontic surgery?
In some cases, the endodontist may recommend a procedure called intentional replantation.
During this procedure, we extract the affected tooth, perform endodontic treatment while it is out of the mouth, then return it to its socket.
Other surgeries include repairing an injured root, removing one or more roots or dividing a tooth in half. Our endodontists will gladly discuss your specific case and identify the type of treatment or surgery your tooth requires.
- Why might I need endodontic surgery?
If a canal is too narrow for instruments used in non-surgical root canal treatment to reach the end of the week, endodontic surgery may be required to clean and seal the remainder of the canal.
- What are my other treatment options?
Extraction may be the only alternative to endodontic surgery. The tooth that was extracted will then need to be replaced with a dental implant, bridge or removable partial denture to prevent misalignment issues, restore chewing function and resolve any aesthetic issues.
We prefer to save natural teeth as extraction may lead to other oral health issues. While modern artificial tooth replacements are effective, helping you preserve as many of your natural teeth as possible is still our highest priority.
- What should I expect during recovery from endodontic surgery?
Every patient has a unique set of circumstances, medical history and other factors that may impact recovery time, but your endodontist will provide personalized post-operative instructions.
For any discomfort due to tissue inflammation (which should be minimal), you can take over-the-counter pain medication. If you notice intense pain or pus leaking from the surgical site, contact our office as soon as possible.
We also recommend patients avoid brushing around the tooth vigorously, and refrain from chewing ice or hard foods with the tooth that was treated.
Within a week or so of your endodontic surgery, a followup appointment will be scheduled to check healing progress. Any soreness or swelling should disappear within two weeks. However, you'll want to schedule an appointment with your general dentist as soon as possible so a filling or crown can be replaced.
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns.