A: Endodontists are dentists with special trianing in endodontic procedures.  They do only endodontics in their practices because they are specialists.  To become specialists, they complete dental school and an additional two or three years of advanced training in endodontics.  They perform routine as well as difficult and very complex endodontic procedures including endodontic surgery.  Endodontists are also experienced at finding the cause of oral and facial pain that has been difficult to diagnose.

A: The endodontist removes the inflamed or infected pulp, carefully cleans and shapes the inside of the canal (a channel inside of the root), then fills and seals the space.  Afterwards, you will return to your general dentist, who will place a crown or other restoration on the tooth  to protect and restore it back to full function.  After restoration, the tooth continues to function like any other tooth.

A: More often than not, patients in need of root canal treatment are experiencing pain prior to receiving treatment.   Root canal treatment will help to relieve this pain and discomfort patients feel in their tooth.  With the use of local anesthetics, root canal treatment causes little or no pain during treatment and patients can have the relief of no longer feeling discomfort from a decayed or infected tooth.

A: Cleaning, shaping and filling the root canal system causes inflammation.  It is common to experience minor soreness in the area for a few days after the treatment.  Normally an over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or tylenol  for a few days is sufficient to control the discomfort that you may have. In a small percentage of cases a stronger pain medication and/or an antibiotic may be needed after treatment. Your endodontist will be able to decide this if the need arises.

A: Root canal therapy has been reported to be up to 96% successful when treated by an endodontist. Many factors influence the treatment outcome including the patient's general health, bone support around the tooth, strength of the tooth, possible fracture lines, shape and condition of the root and the canals, and continued follow-up care with your general dentist.  Although we cannot guarantee the successful outcome of root canal procedures, you can be assured that the most advanced techniques and treatment modalities will be performed to ensure the best prognosis possible.

A: Extraction is always an alternative.  Replacing a natural tooth with an artificial one can require dental procedures on healthy adjacent teeth and is more costly. Dental implants are also an option if extraction is the treatment of choice.

A:

With many state-of-the-art dental treatments and prevention options available in dentistry today, there are fewer reasons for having to extract (remove) teeth.  When something does go wrong with a tooth, we try to do everything possible to restore the tooth to its original function.  Removing a tooth is the last option because we know that removal may lead to severe and costly dental and cosmetic problems if the tooth is not replaced.

Losing a tooth can be a very traumatic experience and it’s very unfortunate when it does happen.  Injury, accident, fracture, severe dental decay, and gum disease are the major reasons for having to remove a tooth.  If teeth are lost due to injury or have to be removed, it is imperative that they be replaced to avoid cosmetic and dental problems in the future.

When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone that helped to support that tooth begins to atrophy, causing the teeth on either side to shift or tip into the open space of the lost tooth.  Also, the tooth above or below the open space will start to move towards the open space because there is no opposing tooth to bite on.  These movements may create problems such as decay, gum disease, excessive wear on certain teeth, and TMJ (jaw joint) problems.  These problems and movements do not result immediately, but will eventually appear, compromising your chewing abilities, the health of your bite, and the beauty of your smile.

Options for replacement of missing teeth:

Removable bridges - This type of bridge is a good solution for replacing one or more missing teeth, especially in complex dental situations where other replacement options are not possible. They are usually made of tooth-colored, artificial teeth combined with metal clasps that hook onto adjacent natural teeth. Removable bridges are the most economical option for replacing missing teeth, but may be the least aesthetically pleasing. This is because the metal clasps on the appliances are often impossible to completely conceal.

Fixed bridges - This type of bridge is generally made of porcelain or composite material and is anchored (cemented) permanently to a natural teeth adjacent to the missing tooth site. The benefit of this type of bridge is that it is fixed (not removable) and it is very sturdy. The disadvantage is that in order to create a fixed appliance, two healthy, natural teeth will have to be crowned (capped) to hold the bridge in place.

Dentures - This type of tooth replacement is used when most or all of the natural teeth are missing in one dental arch. Dentures are removable artificial teeth that are made to closely resemble the patients’ original teeth.

Implants - Are a great way to replace one or more missing teeth. They may also be great to support ill fitting dentures. A dental implant is an artificial root that is surgically placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing tooth. An artificial tooth is placed on the implant, giving the appearance and feel of a natural tooth. Implants are very stable, durable, and are the most aesthetically pleasing tooth replacement option.

If you are missing teeth, ask us if they need replacement and what options are available to you. Together we will select the best replacement option for your particular case. Prevention and early treatment is always less involved and less costly than delaying treatment and allowing a serious problem to develop.

A:

We’re all at risk for having a tooth knocked out.  More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year!  If we know how to handle this emergency situation, we may be able to actually save the tooth.  Teeth that are knocked out may be possibly reimplanted if we act quickly, yet calmly, and follow these simple steps:

1. Locate the tooth and handle it only by the crown (chewing part of the tooth), NOT by the roots.
2. DO NOT scrub or use soap or chemicals to clean the tooth.  If it has dirt or debris on it, rinse it gently with your own saliva or whole milk.  If that is not possible, rinse it very gently with water.
3. Get to a dentist within 30 minutes.  The longer you wait, the less chance there is for successful reimplantation.

Ways to transport the tooth

• Try to replace the tooth back in its socket immediately.  Gently bite down on gauze, a wet tea bag or on your own teeth to keep the tooth in place.  Apply a cold compress to the mouth for pain and swelling as needed.
• If the tooth cannot be placed back into the socket, place the tooth in a container and cover with a small amount of your saliva or whole milk.  You can also place the tooth under your tongue or between your lower lip and gums.  Keep the tooth moist at all times.  Do not transport the tooth in a tissue or cloth.
• Consider buying a “Save-A-Tooth” storage container and keeping it as part of your home first aid kit.  The kit is available in many pharmacies and contains a travel case and fluid solution for easy tooth transport.

The sooner the tooth is replaced back into the socket, the greater the likelihood it has to survive and possibly last for many years.  So be prepared, and remember these simple steps for saving a knocked-out tooth.

You can prevent broken or knocked-out teeth by:

• Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports
• Always wearing your seatbelt
• Avoiding fights
• Avoid chewing hard items such as ice, popcorn kernels, hard breads, etc.

A: Today, more than ever, patients are concerned about the safety of x-rays in general, as well as the need for them in the dental office. With today's x-ray machines producing minimal radiation and the use of digital sensors to capture the image, recent studies have shown that there is no risk of long term adverse effects to patients. The amount of radiation used to expose dental x-rays is very small. With the use of an advanced computerized system called digital radiography we can expose patients to radiation levels that are between 70% and 90% less than what is used with conventional dental films.

A: Reducing the chance of spreading infectious diseases has always been the "highest priority" of the dental profession. Our office uses comprehensive infection control procedures which comply with, and exceed the "universal precautions" set and regulated by government and professional agencies.

 We routinely monitor our infection control policies and ensure that upgrades to material and equipment, as well as training in their use, is an on going process.

Many of our infection control procedures are visible: gloved hands, protective masks and eyewear and freshly laundered uniforms. What may not be visible to our patients is the sophisticated state-of-the-art sterilization of all instruments, including handpieces, disinfection of all surfaces, and disposal of contaminated waste into special containers which are then discarded according to government regulations.