Anyone had an apecectomy (dental)

[triplets]

Hi, had one about 20 years ago and have been told it needs redoing. I had awful pain over Easter even though the actual tooth is crowned. Dentist took an xray and said the was infection around the tip of the root. Gave me antibiotics which stopped the pain but now I have a large hard lump on the gum. Dentist can`t do it so been referred to a local hospital, they have now written and said the work will have to be done by a consultant. Feel abit worried as its not a pleasant procedure. Feel a wimp saying that when my dh has been through hell with cancer treatment the last five years.

Yes I have had one. You may want to look into taking the crown off and retreating the root canal before resorting to apicectomy.

I saw a specialist endodontist for a root canal retreat as it was obvious the root canal had been imperfectly done 18 years before by a General dentist. It had become infected.
The endodontist was able to do a much better job using a microscope etc but warned me that there was one weird root which they couldn't get right to the end on and that this could be treated with apicectomy in future if it blew up again.
In the meantime I had the tooth crowned and then trouble arose and the apicectomy sorted it out but it is not a good idea to just do one unless the underlying root canal is believed to be the best it can be...hence my suggestion to get a root canal retreat from an endodontist first.

Your other option is extraction and implant of course if you don't want all the pfaff. The actual procedure wasn't too bad as I was seriously numb. Very little afterpain.

Thank you, what is the diff between an apecectomy and root canal treatment? It was an apecectomy I had done 20 years ago.

QUOTE OP: 'what is the diff between an apecectomy and root canal treatment? It was an apecectomy I had done 20 years ago.'

It seems surprising that you would have had endodontic surgery (an apicoectomy) before a root canal. They are very different.

A root canal is where the nerve is removed from the tooth, maybe because it has died and abcessed. The nerve is teased out with files, the canals are shaped often over multiple visits and then the space is filled with gutta percha (usually). If a lot of tooth structure has been removed because of decay (not always the case if say the nerve just died), a crown is then often suggested so long as the tooth settles down and is asymptomatic. This process is all done through the top of the tooth using files and a microscope (if a specialist).

An apicoectomy is where the tooth root is accessed from the side going through gum and bone and the bottom tip of one of the roots is chopped off thereby removing (it is hoped) the source of the on-going infection showing at the bottom of the tooth root on an x-ray.

These links probably explain it better: www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Articles/Oral-and-Dental-Health-Basics/Common-Concerns/Gum-Disease/article/Apicoectomy.cvsp

www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Articles/Oral-and-Dental-Health-Basics/Checkups-and-Dental-Procedures/Root-Canal-Treatment/article/What-is-Root-Canal-Treatment.cvsp

Thank you you are very knowledgeable.............it was def an apecectomy, I have not had any root canal treatment. I remember it well as it was so sore on my gum. Just hope they hurry up and get it done.

You can't have an apicectomy without first having root canal treatment. These days the referral would be refused so something doesn't quite add up.

Sounds like you have some more enquiries to do. I'd have thought you can't have one on the same tooth twice as they will have removed the root already.

had one and it was okay pain wise. Lots of injections to numb my mouth but some of them were to numb me up to have the other injections.

But as above I had root canal, then tooth crowned and my dentist gave me antibiotics twice to try and get rid of the infection before apecectomy.

Went to specialist dentist to get it done on referral from own dentist. Was really good. No more pain flare ups and there used to be a horrible taste round that tooth. Was warned there was risk of losing tooth.

Sometimes if it's a post crown, it's not practical to remove the post because of the risk of root fracture and then the root canal treatment can't be redone so an apicectomy is the way forward.

I suppose they know what they are doing.........just want it over and done with, the gum feels really hard.

Just to warn you that I eventually lost my tooth as I kept abcessing in the gum. :( I now have a fixed bridge instead but I was very sad to lose my tooth, especially after all the efforts to save it. That was after about 15 years. Good luck.

The tooth is already crowned, will that make a difference?

Got my appt today, 3rd July!! It will be the first anniversary of my lovely mums death on that day in the same hospital :(