Generally root canal treatment and proper restoration are all that are needed to save teeth with injured pulps from extraction. Occasionally, these non-surgical procedures will not be sufficient to heal the tooth and your endodontist will recommend surgery. Endodontic surgery can be used to locate fractures or hidden canals in accessible with a non-surgical treatment. Damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone may also be
treated with this procedure. The most common surgery used to save damaged teeth is an apicoectomy or root-end resection. What is an Apicoectomy? The video below illustrates the procedure. An incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed tissue. The damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip. A root-end filling is placed to prevent reinfection of the root and the gum is sutured. The bone naturally heals around the root over a period of months restoring full function.