Microsurgical Apicoectomy

In modern dentistry, inflammation at the root tip is first treated via the tooth's root canal. The goal is to achieve as tight a seal as possible with a root filling in a disinfected canal. In some cases, the inflammation spreads to the surrounding tissue (the tooth-supporting structures and jawbone) and becomes chronic. In such cases, it becomes necessary to remove the encapsulated inflammation "from the outside," i.e. through an incision. In addition, the root tip is removed for disinfection purposes, since it is usually a very good hiding place for bacteria. This procedure is called an apicoectomy and, in our practice, is performed under visual magnification (e.g. loupes or microscope) following microsurgical principles, to cause as little "damage" as possible to the surrounding tissue. It also improves the postoperative course, in the sense of a less painful healing phase.