Root tip resection

A root canal treatment is meant to save a tooth whose interior has become inflamed. The dentist clears out the canal, cleans it and fills it tightly. In most cases the inflammation heals as a result.

When that is not enough

If the inflammation at the root tip persists, the tooth is not yet lost. In a root tip resection the infected tip is removed along with the surrounding tissue – an outpatient procedure, usually under local anaesthetic.

For patients with periodontitis this is more than a formality: every tooth that is kept supports its neighbours and holds the bone in shape. A gap, by contrast, changes the statics of the whole jaw.