Check-up and Digital Imaging
A six-monthly examination: intraoral check, digital X-ray if needed and a written summary of the day. A record is kept even when nothing is found; the next check-up is compared against it.
DetailsRoot canal treatment is usually enough. Sometimes infection at the root tip sits where the canal cannot reach it and persists as a dark area on the X-ray. An apicoectomy opens a small window in the gum, removes the root tip and the inflamed tissue around it, then seals the end of the root.
The process
- X-ray and, if needed, a CT scan to see the extent of the lesion
- Surgery under local anaesthetic
- Removing the root tip, cleaning the inflamed tissue, sealing the end with a filling
- Sutures; removed after a week
- Healing checked on X-ray at six months and a year
What is considered first
Redoing the root canal is usually the first option; surgery comes after it. If very little tooth structure is left, or there is a fracture, keeping the tooth may not be possible this way either — that possibility is stated plainly at the first visit.
This page is general information and does not replace a dental examination. Whether the treatment suits you, and the method and duration, are decided only after an intraoral examination and radiographic assessment.
After treatment
Cold compresses and soft food for 48 hours. No hard brushing over the site; a mouth rinse is advised. Sutures out after a week, check X-rays at six months.
The information on this page is for general guidance and does not replace a dental examination. Treatment decisions are made after an intraoral examination and radiographic assessment.