An apicoectomy is an oral surgery root canal treatment procedure that is carried out to save a tooth which might otherwise need to be extracted.

Even when a large amount of bone has been lost, most of these cases heal uneventfully and new bone is seen to fill in about the end of the root completely in six to 12 months.

A couple of case histories of apicoectomy surgery from my personal practice are discussed, and before and after x-ray pictures are shown.

The first, of a woman patient, is of interest because of large, almost identical granuloma infections showing lateral canals which came from the upper teeth on either side of her two front teeth (lateral incisors). Though her severe gastrointestinal involvement improved dramatically with root canal treatment of these teeth and nutritional counseling, restults were not completely satisfactory.

With our current knowledge of Dr. Price's research discoveries - and in spite of the long history of service of these two teeth - with indsight it appears she would have been better served by removal of these teeth.

The second case involved the largest cyst surgically operated upon, which was caused not by tooth decay but by a football injury. he filling in of new bone at the infection site around the two teeth after six and 12 months proved gratifying to me and the patient. Because he moved away, I am unware of his subsequent health history.

The successful healing in these two cases emphasizes how difficult it is for dentists nd patients a like to believe these teeth could still be carrying infection.

For those suffering severe degenerative disease problems, it will be only by having seemingly healthy root filled teeth removed that judgement of Price's work will be possible.