SERVICES THE LAST THREE MILLIMETERS

Endodontic Surgery & Microsurgery in Torrance

When the problem lives at the root tip.

Book a consultation We can help: (310) 378-8342

90%+

SUCCESS WITH MODERN MICROSURGICAL TECHNIQUE

3mm

OF ROOT TIP RESECTED — NO MORE THAN NEEDED

1–2

DAYS TO NORMAL ACTIVITY, MOST PATIENTS

The microscope turned this from last resort into fine work.

SEE A SURGICAL SAVE →

WHEN SURGERY ENTERS

When the canal alone can’t finish it.

Surgery is the exception, not the rule — most teeth never need it. These are the situations where it earns its place.

✦ Infection persisting after a well-done root canal

✦ A cyst or lesion at the root tip that won’t heal

✦ A canal blocked by a post or calcification — retreatment impossible

✦ A suspected crack or defect that needs a direct look

✦ A cemental tear or damage on the root’s outer surface

✦ Tissue that needs a biopsy

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS

A small window, five careful steps.

FIG. 07

THE APICOECTOMY

 FIG. 07 — THE LAST 3MM, RESECTED SEALED WITH BIOCERAMIC 

1

The 3D plan.

CBCT maps the lesion, the root, and everything nearby — nerves, sinus — so the surgery is measured in millimeters before it begins.

2

Profoundly numb.

Local anesthesia, confirmed before we start, with sedation options if you’d rather not remember the hour.

3

A small window.

The gum is gently opened at the root tip — a window a few millimeters wide — and the infected tissue removed completely.

4

Three millimeters, no more.

The root tip is resected and the canal’s end prepared with ultrasonic tips under the microscope — precision impossible at naked-eye scale.

5

Sealed and sutured.

A bioceramic (MTA) filling seals the root end; fine sutures close the window. Recalls track the bone as it grows back.

RECOVERY

Milder than the word "surgery".

Most patients are back to work the next day. Expect mild swelling and tenderness for two to three days, managed with over-the-counter medication and an ice pack — not the ordeal the name suggests.

You'll leave with written instructions and a direct line for questions. Stitches come out (or dissolve) within a week.

CASE SELECTION

Sometimes the answer is no.

Surgery only helps when the problem is actually surgical. If the true cause is a missed canal, retreatment comes first; if the root is fractured, no surgery saves it — and we'll show you why on the scan.

For teeth where access is blocked entirely, intentional reimplantation — repairing the tooth outside the mouth and returning it — is sometimes the better road. Judgment before procedure, always.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Asked in this chair, often.

Does it hurt?

The procedure itself, no — you’re fully numb, with sedation available. Afterward, most patients describe two or three days of mild soreness.

Why not just redo the root canal?

When the canal is accessible, retreatment usually does come first. Surgery is for what retreatment can’t reach: blocked canals, root-end cysts, or problems on the root’s outer surface.

How long does it take?

Usually 60–90 minutes, one visit.

What does it cost?

You’ll get an exact estimate at consultation; most PPO insurance covers endodontic surgery.

NEARBY IN THE CONSTELLATION

Related stars.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY — NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. CONSULT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.

One stubborn root tip doesn’t end the story.

A consultation and one 3D scan will tell you whether microsurgery can close the chapter.

Call (310) 378-8342 Book online