Apexification
Pronunciation: ay-PEK-sih-fih-KAY-shun
An endodontic procedure aimed at inducing the formation of a calcified apical barrier in a tooth with an open apex, allowing subsequent root canal obturation.
Full Definition
Apexification is performed on non-vital immature permanent teeth whose root development was arrested by pulpal necrosis, leaving a wide, open apex (blunderbuss canal). The traditional technique involved multiple applications of calcium hydroxide paste over months to years to stimulate a calcific barrier. Contemporary practice increasingly uses mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or biodentine placed as a single-visit apical plug. Editors should distinguish apexification from apexogenesis, which is a pulp-preserving procedure performed on vital immature teeth to encourage continued physiological root development.
Usage
Usage note: Do not conflate with 'apexogenesis' (vital pulp therapy for immature teeth) or 'apicoectomy' (surgical root-end resection). These are three distinct procedures.
In Context
- "MTA apexification was completed in a single visit, placing a 4 mm apical plug under rubber dam isolation." — Endodontic case report
- "The authors compared calcium hydroxide apexification outcomes over 24 months against single-visit MTA apical plug placement." — Systematic review methods