The root Canal Treatment, Gum Infection and Apicoectomy

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Title: The root Canal Treatment, Gum Infection and Apicoectomy

Word Count: 477

Author: Meinig

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The root Canal Treatment, Gum Infection and Apicoectomy

Copyright 2006 SSLI Health Group

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. 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. 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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Edited and prepared by Sung Lee, alternate author