Aid to root canal therapy and the fitting of partial or complete dentures

Two other treatments are surgery to aid root canal therapy (root resection or apicectomy) and surgery to aid the fitting of partial or complete dentures.

Aid to root canal therapy

If the nerve and pulp tissue of a tooth die, infection is likely to develop at the tip of the tooth root. In most cases the definitive treatment is root filling the tooth.  This can be carried out by either your dentist or specialist endondontist.  This is usually all that is required.  Sometimes it is necessary to surgically remove the end of the tooth following root canal therapy.  This procedure is called an apicectomy.  It may be necessary to insert a retrograde root filling in the end of the root canal at the same time.  Apicectomies are carried out through an incision in the gum.

Aids to the fitting of partial or complete dentures

Some people who wear dentures have difficulty because of bony or soft tissue growths of the gum under the fitting surface of the denture, or because of an usual shape of the gum supporting the denture.  Sometimes a buried tooth, retained root or bone fragment can cause irritation under a denture.

Surgery can:

• Correct misshapen or uneven gums caused by excess gum tissue, fibrous or scar tissue or bony outgrowths.
• Remove lesions, cysts and other tissue abnormalities.
• Remove buried teeth, retained roots and bone fragments.

What else do I need to know about surgery?

For more information about oral hygiene and recovery after surgery click here.