Endodontic surgery can help to save an injured tooth by treating damaged root surfaces and the surrounding bone. Endodontists may also use surgery for diagnosing complex problems when adequate explanation for a patient’s symptoms has not been provided through the use of x-ray.
If a tooth has calcification (calcium deposits which make the canal too narrow to perform a root canal) endodontic surgery may be necessary to clean and seal the remainder of the canal.
The most common endodontic surgery procedure is called the apicoectomy. This is a procedure whereby a root-end cavity is surgically removed and the root canal is sealed. This procedure is intended to fight infection in the tissues surrounding the tip of the root, thereby saving the tooth from extraction.
