Endodontics – Apicoectomy

An apicoectomy is performed after an unsuccessful root canal. When an infection will not go away or returns after a root canal has been performed, this procedure is usually necessary. Dr. Eric M Meyer DDS is known for his comprehensive, but gentle approach to dentistry. In most cases, he may suggest a second root canal before an apicoectomy since it is a simpler, less invasive procedure.

An apicoectomy may be needed when an infection develops or persists after root canal treatment or retreatment. In an apicoectomy, the root tip, or apex, is removed along with the infected tissue. A filling is then placed to seal the end of the root. Most apicoectomies take between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the location of the tooth and the complexity of the root structure. Procedures on front teeth are generally the shortest. Those on lower molars generally take the longest. Before the procedure, Dr. Meyer will provide you with a consultation to see what action best fits your needs.

If you have questions or concerns regarding endodontic treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Apicoectomy

The doctors at Fullerton Dental perform many root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  During a root canal, we remove any inflamed or infected tissue, and thoroughly clean the root canal system.  In most root canal cases, the tooth heals and doesn’t require further treatment. When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected, our doctors can perform an apicoectomy.

An apicoectomy is performed to remove damaged tissue and seal a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options.

To learn more about the apicoectomy procedure and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.fullertondental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, in Fullerton CA, call 714-879-7943.

Root Tip Infections

A lot of studies have come out recently linking dental infections with heart disease and other illnesses, so we thought this would be a good time to educate patients about root tip infections. This type of infection can be extremely dangerous but often goes undetected until patients develop what is called a periapical abscess, which is painful and bad-smelling.

When a tooth is cracked, bacteria may enter the pulp chamber and cause inflammation. Pus, made up of bacteria and dead tissue, accumulates at the tip of the tooth root, and the body may form an abscess, a pocket made of soft tissue, to contain it. However, the infection could still spread, causing loss of bone matter and eventually entering the blood stream. The pain from an abscessed tooth could also spread and come to encompass a large part of the face.

Treating a periapical abscess requires that it be drained and the patient undergo a root canal. They may also need an apicoectomy, which is an operation during which the root tip is removed and replaced. But imaging tests can help us to stop a root tip infection before it gets to that point, and spare the patient a lot of pain and expense.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Intrinsic Stains

Did you know that root canals can be an important cosmetic procedure? Stains can be both extrinsic and intrinsic to a tooth, meaning they can affect the outer as well as the inner layers. At Dr. Eric Meyer’s Fullerton dental office, we offer several means of restoring teeth to whiteness, but for some intrinsic stains, a root canal is necessary.

Extrinsic stains are generally caused by repeated exposure to dark liquids such as coffee or red wine, or by smoke and tar. They can usually be fixed with bleaching. Intrinsic stains affect the dental pulp. They could be due to the tooth having been exposed to an excessive amount of fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics while it was developing, or by inflammation. Although an intrinsic stain can be covered with a veneer, inflamed pulp presents a health concern and should not be swept under the rug.

Although inflammation is part of the body’s immune response, the body does a poor job at fighting off tooth infections on its own and a root canal will probably be necessary. Typically, a root canal ends with the tooth being filled and sealed. But to reverse cosmetic damage, an entire new crown may be necessary.

Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

How an Apicoectomy Saves a Tooth

When root canals fail to completely clear up a tooth infection, it means the infection is very deep. To clear up the infection for good, Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS can perform an apicoectomy here in our Fullerton, CA office. An apicoectomy is a procedure to clean out a root canal from the tip of the root.

An apicoectomy may be necessary to save a tooth if one or more root canal procedures failed to keep the infection away. An apicoectomy is a surgical procedure that cleans out the infection from the other side of the tooth, directly through the tooth’s root. First, Dr. Meyer will make incisions in the gums to reveal the root’s tip. Sometimes bone tissue will need to be removed to access the root, so in that case, bone tissue removal will be the next step. Upon access to the root, any infected tissue surrounding the root will be removed. The last few millimeters of the root will also be removed so the root canal can then be cleaned out and sealed again. The bone and gum tissues are put back in place and the gums are stitched together to heal.

When root canals fail, an apicoectomy is the next step to make sure the patient does not lose the tooth. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS, call our Fullerton, CA office at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

Root Canal Therapy by Dr. Eric M Meyer, DDS

If you are experiencing prolonged pain and sensitivity to a tooth, you may have an infection. Dr. Eric M Meyer, D.D.S. is skilled at performed root canal therapy for his patients suffering from the pain associated with an infected tooth. Root canals clean out the infection and allow the tooth to heal healthy.

Signs a root canal is needed include prolonged pain and sensitivity to a tooth, especially when biting down. Red, irritated gums and a reappearing sore near the infected tooth are also signs. A dark spot may also appear on the tooth. If you are experiencing these symptoms, schedule an appointment with Dr. Meyer for an examination. If an infected tooth is left alone, it could lead to an abscessed tooth. This can damage the jawbone and cause the loss of the tooth.

Root canal therapy clears out the infected dental pulp. Dr. Meyer will drill an access hole into the tooth and clean out the dental pulp and the tooth’s root canals. When the area is clean, a sealant called gutta-percha is applied to the now hollow tooth. A filling will be placed onto the access hole to seal the tooth. This process relieves the sensitivity from the infected nerves and relieves the pain and pressure the inflamed pulp was causing. This also allows the tooth to heal back into a strong and healthy tooth that can continue a life in your mouth.

To learn more or to schedule an examination with Dr. Eric M Meyer, D.D.S., call our Fullerton, CA dental practice at (714) 879-7943 or visit our website, www.fullertondental.com. 

Does Your Tooth Still Hurt After a Root Canal?

If you’re still experiencing pain after a root canal, you may be wondering why. Aren’t root canals meant to take your pain away? There are many reasons why your tooth may still be hurting. It is possible that the base of your tooth root (periapical) is still slightly tender or that your pain is caused by a temporary filling that is a bit too high. In these cases, taking OTC painkillers, preferably ibuprofen, may be all you need to alleviate your pain while your root canal heals.

However, if you’ve had a root canal at our practice in Fullerton, CA and are still experiencing pain that is severe or persistent, you should call our office immediately. The dentist may need to prescribe you an antibiotic to make sure the infection does not remain, or he may need to perform retreatment.

At your follow-up appointment, Dr. Eric Meyer will want to know what type of pain you are experiencing. Is your tooth sensitive to hot and cold? Is it the tooth root that is sensitive or the gums that are over the tooth? Is it a constant ache, or does it only hurt when biting? Is there any swelling, drainage or pus? The answers to these questions will give Dr. Meyer the information he needs to diagnose your pain.

Root canals don’t always work, and there are many reasons for this, including fractures of the root, convoluted or twisted root structures and failure to protect the root canal after the procedure. If this occurs, you may need further treatment. If the root canal was successful, it should feel normal most of the time.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Meyer in Fullerton, CA, call 714.879.7943. For more information about the dentist and his services, visitwww.fullertondental.com.

Apicoectomy

If root canal therapy is unsuccessful and your infection either returns or persists after the procedure, it is often because of a problem near the apex of the root, making an apicoectomy necessary to save your tooth from extraction, and Dr. Eric Meyer has the skill and experience to help you in Fullerton, CA.

An apicoectomy removes the tip or apex of the root of your tooth and replaces it with a filling. This is not to be confused with a root resection, which is when an entire root is removed, not just the tip. Before we recommend an apicoectomy, a second root canal is usually considered because it is a simpler and less-invasive procedure. Advances in technology allow the dentist to detect whether one of the tooth’s other canals is the source of the infection. If this is the case, a second root canal is carried out.

However, if an apicoectomy is necessary, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the area. The local anesthetic that is used contains twice as much epinephrine as the anesthetic for a filling. This ensures that your blood vessels are reduced to reduce bleeding and allow your dentist to accurately see the root. Then the dentist will make an incision in your gum to expose the root of the infected tooth. About 3 to 4 millimeters of the canal are cleaned of inflamed tissue and then the area is healed. An X-ray is usually taken before the gums are sutured to give Dr. Meyer a better look at the area.

If your tooth pain persists or comes back after root canal therapy, come to our office. Call 714.879.7943 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

What is Rotary Endodontics?

If you’ve had a root canal to save an infected tooth, it probably didn’t occur to you to ask what types of tools your dentist used. However, if your dentist used the old, manual file for removing the infection, the procedure may have been more nerve racking than if rotary endodontics technology was used. That’s why Dr. Eric Meyer uses these tools in our office in Fullerton.

Providing a smoother, more comfortable experience during root canals, rotary endodontics technology allows Dr. Meyer to remove the infected pulp in the inner root canal more quickly, more smoothly and with less chance of complications. These electric instruments prove superior to the traditional, stainless steel files. They are made of nickel titanium, which is much more flexible than stainless steel, so it can be inserted into the curved root canal without damaging the passageway.

In addition, the tools are much quieter, without the grinding noise that other tools produce, which can help with your nerves during the procedure. This is why both the doctor and patients prefer this technology. While the manual method works adequately at saving teeth during root canals, rotary endodontics tools are much less scary and are easier to use.

We prefer to use this technology at our office in Fullerton, CA because we always put our patients’ first and the tools are smoother, quicker and more consistent than the traditional method. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943. For more information about our practice, our services and our technology, visit www.FullertonDental.com.

Root Canals

While the thought of having a root canal procedure usually fills patients with dread, it is a necessary one for those who teeth become infected in the nerves. Besides causing pain, root canal infections, if left untreated, can become abscesses, which are much more serious and can spread the infection to the jaw, which can eventually lead to a loss of bone mass. At our office,  Dr. Eric Meyer can relieve your pain and save your tooth with a root canal.


Although root canals can be scary, they are well worth it to stop your pain and improve your oral health. There is some resultant soreness after the procedure, but it is only temporary and usually nothing over-the-counter painkillers cannot take care of.


During a root canal, Dr. Meyer removes the infection by applying a local anesthetic to the area and drilling into the tooth to create an opening in the canal. Then he is able to remove the infected tissue and clean the area. Once the infection has been removed, your tooth will be filled with a sealant and then fitted with a crown to protect it from the infection in the future. The crown also helps improve the appearance and strength of the tooth.


Once the procedure is complete and you have healed, you will be able to eat without experiencing pain and sensitivity to heat, cold and pressure. If you’re in pain, you don’t need to suffer. Schedule an appointment with our office by calling 714-879-7943. For more information, visit www.FullertonDental.com.