DENTAL SURGERY

Root-end surgery (apicoectomy)

If root canal treatment is no longer an option (the tooth has been crowned, root canal is not viable) and the root end is inflamed, both the inflammation and the root end can be surgically removed. This procedure is performed under a microscope.

Cyst removal (cystectomy)

Cysts are epithelial-lined cavities filled with liquid or pulp.

Tooth-related cysts (odontogenic cysts)

• Radicular cysts
  Occur on the root end of a dead tooth
• Follicular cysts
  Grow out of the dental sacs (teeth formation), particularly in the case of lower wisdom teeth that have not broken through, and other impacted teeth

Non-tooth-related cysts

• Soft-tissue cysts in the oral cavity (ranulae)
• Nasopalatine duct cysts found between the mouth and nasal cavity in the incisive canal

A cystectomy involves the complete removal of the cyst sac. It is crucial that no residual tissue is left behind, as new (residual) cysts can form from them. This procedure is also carried out with the aid of a microscope.

wisdom tooth removal

Wisdom teeth are often displaced or there is no room for them to fit into the dental arch. Imaging information is provided by panoramic radiograph (OPT) or digital volume tomography (DVT).

The operation should be carried out before root formation is too far advanced; otherwise, the procedure involves the risk of the lingual nerve being damaged, the root of the neighbouring tooth being resorbed or a (follicular) cyst forming.

Surgical removal of wisdom teeth in adults brings additional risks with advancing age, as wounds take a lot longer to heal and there are often complications.

The operation to remove all four wisdom teeth takes around an hour in the case of young patients. The damage to blood vessels causes bleeding in the damaged tissue, resulting in swelling, which takes three days to subside. The swelling can be reduced with the right medication and by cooling it (using ice cubes).