When we recommend an apicoectomy, it is because your tooth cannot be healed successfully with a regular root canal treatment.

An apicoectomy is considered a minor surgical procedure. The extreme tip of the tooth’s root is removed and then sealed by an endodontist, a dentist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of tooth ailments from
root canal disease.

Sometimes, a conventional root canal re-treatment may not be feasible, or may even jeopardize the tooth. As happens when you access the canals of a tooth with a crown and post in place which means taking apart the entire restoration, further weakening the tooth.

A better alternative in a case such as that is to treat infection from the root end of the tooth (instead of the crown end) with an apicoectomy.

A small incision is made in the gum tissues at the level of the infection permitting both the infection and root tip to be removed.