When you have an infected tooth, treatment is crucial to avoid tooth loss and safeguard your smile, putting a halt to discomfort in the process. But sometimes, you may have an infection that needs more than a traditional root canal. Our team of orthognathic surgery experts in Richmond, VA, can help save your smile with an apicoectomy!
The Warning Signs of Dental Infection
How do you know if you have an infected tooth? Essentially, when you have plain or sensitivity in a tooth that doesn’t subside after a day or two, then you should consider an appointment for a diagnosis. Our team will look at your smile for signs of infection, obtaining clear and high-definition images of your smile with digital technology. We can then assess the position and extent of your infection, so we can decide if you need a root canal or possibly a root-end resection, also known as apicoectomy. Along with toothaches and tooth sensitivity, you may have pain when you bite down, swelling, aches in the face or jaw, or a discharge from the tooth itself. Don’t ignore these symptoms, reach out to our team right away!
Preparing Your Smile
We will plan the treatment in detail. Otherwise, infection could allow the tooth to essentially die and enable infection to reach other teeth or move into the jawbone, causing further pain and complication for your oral health and smile stability. The tooth could require extraction or fall out. But we don’t want this to happen, which is why we want to provide endodontic treatment to stop discomfort and preserve the tooth, so your smile stays whole. If we find the infection is at the end of a tooth root and not in the main interior of the tooth, you may need the surgical procedure instead of a traditional root canal.
The Apicoectomy
With a traditional root canal, we numb the tooth and open it to access the tissues within, removing them and replacing them with a special restorative material. We then cap the tooth with a crown to complete the procedure. With root canal surgery, we will open the gums near the tip of the tooth. We then remove the tip and extract the infected tissues. We add a medicated filling to seal the tip and suture the area closed. This helps protect your smile from worsening pain or the spread of trouble.
If you have any questions about the apicoectomy process, then contact our team today to learn more.
Schedule Your Appointment With Commonwealth Oral & Facial Surgery In Richmond, VA
When a tooth is infected, we can help with root canal surgery! Talk to our team at Commonwealth Oral & Facial Surgery in Richmond, VA at (804) 354-1600 today.