The apical resection is a surgical procedure which removes that part of the root which is located deepest in your jawbone. In most cases, this is needed when tooth infections occur and form a cyst in the bone tissue. In time, if the problem is ignored, the cyst may embrace other teeth or even perforate the bone tissue.
Why is the Procedure Needed?
There’s one single alternative to this, and that is extraction. So the main purpose of apical resection is to save your tooth. Your dentist chooses apical resection if the bone tissue around the radicular apex gets infected and if the classical procedure can’t be followed due to various reasons: faulty root canal treatment, specific anatomic morphology (atypical root canals), when the infection doesn’t step back with medication, when accessing the root canal may compromise a dental bridge etc.
How is this Carried Out?
First, you will be given a local anesthetic. Your dentist cuts out a fragment of your gum, to get access to the bone tissue. He or she will then identify and remove the swollen tissue. This implies removing the radicular apex and the filling of the empty space. A biopsy may be needed in order to determine the exact nature of the removed tissue. If the case, your dentist will inform you on the subject.
Your gum is then realigned and sutured in place. You will be given a (approximately) one-week prescription to follow home. Then, your stitches will be removed. Post-surgery advice is similar to that of a difficult extraction and your dentist will inform you on the specifics of it. After an amount of time which can vary from six to twelve months, a check is necessary to make sure the bone tissue is properly healed
