The root Canal Treatment, Gum Infection and Apicoectomy
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Author: George Meinig When a root canal filling develops a granuloma, cyst, or
some other infected area at the end of the root, dentists
will sometimes endeavor to save the tooth by performing an
operation called apicoectomy. The area of infection seen on
x-ray pictures is actually a hole in the bone of the jaw
eaten away by bacteria and toxins. It contains pus,
bacteria and infected tissue.
The apicoectomy surgery is done using a local anesthetic.
An incision is made in the gum and the dentist invades the
infected area and curettes away the diseased tissue.
In order to be able to remove all infected tissue
surrounding a tooth's root end, it is sometimes necessary
to also remove a portion of the tooth's root end (apex).
This is done with a surgical dental burr or drill. The term
apicoectomy was adopted because the end tip of the root is
so often removed during this procedure.
Two or three stitches are used to close the wound. These
areas experience some swelling for two or three days but
generally heal with very little discomfort. Usually new
bone immediately begins to grow and fill in the jaw at the
end of the root, and after six to 12 months one can no
longer distinguish the location of the infection sight. In
other words, the area's appearance is now normal.
At times when cysts or other large areas of infection are
found, dentists will elect to do the root canal treatment
and apicoectomy at the same sitting. Generally I preferred
doing both procedures simultaneously because it was
much easier to clean out the root canal that way. In
addition, we could spray a disinfectant through the root
canal and vacuum the debris and infected material out from
the root-end surgical area.
It was also easier to get a good dense root canal filling
as any overpacking could easily be removed.
In my practice I did a fair number of these apicoectomy
surgeries and I cannot recall any which did not show full
healing at the end of the root of the tooth, usually within
the period of one year. We were not universally successful
with teeth treated nonsurgically.
A couple of case history reports from my files will allow
you to see how well infections responded to the apicoectomy
procedure.
The first is of a woman who came home from a trip to Mexico
with severe diarrhea and intestinal involvement. When a
leading Beverly Hills gastroenterologist was unable to
cure her intestinal infection, the patient, knowing I was
doing nutritional counseling, sought my opinion.
Oral examination didn't indicate any obvious pathologic
conditions or tooth decay, but there were many fillings
present. Full mouth x-ray examination disclosed large
abscesses from accessory canals on both of her upper
lateral incisors (the teeth next to the two front teeth).
About the Author:
Dr. George Meinig,D.D.S.,F.A.C.D. is a Founder of the
Association of Root Canal Specialists Discovers Evidence
That Root Canals Damage Your Health Learn What to Do.
Learn how Dr. George Meinig discovered that a meticulous 25
year research program, conducted by Weston A. Price, DDS,
under the auspices of the American Dental Association's
Research Institute was buried.
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