Tag Archive for: apexogenesis

Apexification Procedure

Apexification is the procedure needed when apexogenesis fails to restore the health of an injured, immature tooth.

The first part of the process includes removal of all tooth pulp tissue. A medication is placed in the apex to seal off the opening; the root is then filled back up with a hardening material and sealed off, and any damage to the crown is also restored. The pulp will never be restored, but the natural tooth is saved and light monitoring will ensure it stays healthy in your mouth.

Because the tooth is filled with synthetic material and has not yet been as strongly established as the other adult teeth will become, the tooth will be more susceptible to fractures later. But apexification treatment done properly and carefully will lessen this possibility.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Apexogenesis Procedure

Apexowhat?! Yes, this is definitely quite a new word to wrap our heads around. What can I say? It’s a two-for-one deal: learning a little bit about dentistry while simultaneously sharpening your vocabulary skills. How convenient, right?

Anyway, in the previous post, I introduced the concepts of apexogenesis and apexification. Apexogenesis will be briefly discussed in this post.

Apexogenesis is a procedure performed after an injury that helps a young adult tooth root to continue growing and the the pulp to heal correctly. Medication is used on the surrounding soft tissues to prevent infection and ensure proper recovery. If the procedure is successful, the apex (remember, the root’s tip which has a slight opening) continues to close as the tooth grows, and the root canal walls thicken. A successful operation also relieves the patient of any further endodontic treatment, provided the pulp heals completely and the tooth’s life is fully preserved.

If, however, the apexogenesis therapy did not prove to be successful, apexification may be required. Details coming!

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Traumatic Dental Injuries: Children’s Cases

Dealing with injuries in children’s teeth is a little different than with grown adults; their incoming adult teeth have not fully come through and developed a strong, established root.

The apex, or tip of the root (way down/up in the gums), in a tooth that has not yet matured in a child’s mouth, has a far larger opening than a mature tooth. The reason why this opening is wider during the young stages is so that nutrients can more easily enter the tooth to help it develop strength and health as the child grows up. Compare it to an ice cream waffle cone, where the crown of the tooth is where the scoop of ice cream goes, and the apex is the pointy part at the bottom. If you were to bite a hole in the bottom of the cone, it would leave an opening… and ice cream would drip out.

Well, the anatomy of a tooth is similar. In a still-developing adult tooth, the hole is just much wider, and the walls of the root canal are thinner. As the child and his teeth mature, the apex opening grows smaller, the walls thicker, and the tooth becomes nice and sturdy.

If an injury were to occur to these young adult teeth, special care is needed if the health of the tooth is to be preserved to its full potential. One of two kinds of procedures may be needed: apexogenesis or apexification. I will cover these in future posts.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com