Hi,  I'm scheduled for an apicoectomy, on #25. Some basic history:

- root canal treatment in ~1990 (probably bad doctor's judgement)
- again root canal and crown in ~1992 (can't remember why)
- again root canal and new crown-with-axis in 1995 (probably fistula)

Two months ago (Feb 2005) a fistula appeared again. The x-rays
revealed an abscess on the root tip, that also "presses" the sinus.
http://earth.prohosting.com/vasd/panorax-cropped.jpg (~200K),
http://earth.prohosting.com/vasd/panorax3.jpg (~2M)

The first doctor gave me antiobiotics for a week (fistula setback) and
did a 5-10sec laser "treatment" on the fistula area and told me that most
probably I'll need an apicoectomy in the future. However, let's wait...

The second doctor passed me to a well reputated surgeon to do the
apico right away since the abscess is in the sinus area...I think i'll go
next week with this option. However:

- Has anyone any idea for the value of this "laser treatment"? Somewhat
I feel it was worthless, since it does not "cure" the abscess, only the
fistula.
- Most probably the abscess is there for many years. Is there a chance
than after the apicoectomy, it will come back some time later? Then what?
- What are the risks of this operation, in relevance to the sinus? Do
I need to know something that i haven't been told so far?

Thank you all for your patience,
Mike

PS: Silly me: since apicoectomy cuts a portion of the root, will my
crowned-with-axis tooth fall down eventually?