
Answers to Your Frequently Asked Endodontic Questions
If you have more root canal questions, visit our services page for more detailed information or contact us today to help answer any questions you have.
General Questions
Hidden Box
How are you keeping patients safe during COVID-19?
We always adhere to the most rigorous standards of infection control advocated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Dental Association (ADA). More specifically, we use autoclave (heat and pressure) sterilization to completely eradicate all biological elements from instruments, and we monitor and test our autoclave machines with the rigorous SporAmpule biological indicator to ensure proper daily operation and safety.
We also utilize protective barrier techniques to eliminate any risk of new cross contamination infection. And we prepare your operatory well before you arrive by pre-cleaning, spraying, and wiping down all surfaces with hospital-level disinfectant and covering all exposed surfaces with plastic barriers..
Furthermore, we require that our entire staff complete a thorough OSHA-sponsored continuing education infection control training program yearly to ensure compliance with regulations on infection and hazard control.
What is endodontic treatment?
When you look at your tooth in the mirror, you see the crown of your tooth. The rest of the tooth – the portion hidden beneath the gum line – is called the root.
The inner channel or “root canal” contains the dental pulp or soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. Any bacteria introduced into the pulp as a result of tooth decay, periodontal disease, tooth fracture, or other problems can lead to death of the pulpal tissue. When that happens, a root canal specialist – known as an endodontist – performs a specialized dental procedure commonly referred to as root canal treatment to remove the diseased pulp to save the infected tooth and prevent further inflammation or infection. After successful endodontic treatment, the tooth continues to perform normally.
What’s the difference between a dentist and endodontist?
Why should I save my tooth?
Are Root Canals Safe?
Your oral health can contribute to your overall health and well-being. In other words, a healthier mouth means a healthier you! Today’s modern digital imaging technology and operating microscopes help ensure successful endodontic treatment. Nothing looks, feels or functions like your natural tooth. Your tooth is worth saving!
Click HERE to learn more about root canal safety.
What is CBCT x-ray (Digital 3D CBCT Scan) technology?
Click HERE to learn more about CBCT x-ray technology.
What is the best treatment for a cracked tooth?
Are dental x-rays safe?
We utilize cutting-edge, narrow-focus field or limited field of view Cone Beam Computed Tomography (commonly referred to as 3D CBCT digital imaging) for the smallest of radiation exposures possible – key for evaluating your intricate root canal spaces while ensuring your safety. This high-resolution, small-field-of-view (only 5cm x 3.75cm wide exposure) allows for more comprehensive evaluation to specifically address your primary tooth concern, focusing treatment to give you the relief you need quickly. The average delivered radiation dose for a single 3D CBCT exam performed by our low-dose CBCT unit is similar to a few of the smaller two-dimensional digital dental x-rays. Overall, this dental 3D CBCT scan has radiation doses several hundred times lower than traditional medical CT, even less than 1/4th the dose of a standard chest x-ray.
What kind of technology does your office use?
Is a root canal painful?
Your tooth may feel slightly different than your other teeth for some time following endodontic treatment. For those requesting enhanced relaxation, we offer a full range of sedation options to make your procedure as comfortable as possible.
What should I expect after root canal treatment?
What is root canal retreatment?
If further root canal treatment is recommended for your tooth, our endodontists offer retreatment options with the goal of tooth retention, preventing the need for tooth extraction.
Will I need dental surgery?
Learn more HERE
What is an apicoectomy?
Your endodontist performs this microsurgical procedure following application of local anesthesia to make your tooth and surrounding tissue comfortable. The gum tissue near the tooth is opened to allow access to the underlying tooth and bone, facilitating removal of inflammation and infection. Following resection of the root, a small filling is placed to seal the end of the root canal space and a few sutures or stitches are placed to help the tissue heal. In some cases, a bone graft procedure is also completed to facilitate healing and expedite new bone growth in the area. Post-surgical discomfort is generally mild, and most patients may resume their normal activities the next day. In the next few months, the bone will heal around the end of the root.
We offer a full range of sedation dentistry options to keep our patients comfortable during treatment.
What’s the treatment for a knocked-out tooth?
What’s the treatment for dental resorption?
External cervical resorption affects the area where your tooth meets the gums. This type of resorption is commonly a result of dental trauma, past orthodontic treatment, tooth whitening, or due to an unknown (usually genetic) cause. Treatment depends on severity. If caught early, a minor gum surgical procedure, a root canal procedure, or both can be used to repair your tooth with the goal of tooth retention.
Internal resorption differs in that it happens entirely inside your tooth. The blood vessel inside the tooth expands, which dissolves the inner tooth surface. This process is usually a result of dental infection or tooth trauma. If caught early, the process can be treated entirely with conservative, non-surgical root canal treatment.
External resorption affects the outside surface of your tooth root and often occurs at the apex or root tip, shortening the tooth root and is similar to the process of losing a baby tooth. If occurring in adult teeth, it is usually a result of a dental abscess producing chronic inflammation and infection near the tooth apex or from an impacted (or buried) wisdom tooth applying pressure against a neighboring tooth. To prevent tooth loss, root canal treatment is usually advised.
Will insurance cover my root canal procedure?
Why must I provide a copy of my ID?
About Our Services
Hidden Box
Endodontic Treatment
Endodontics deals specifically with the tissue surrounding the root of a tooth. We specialize in therapies that restore the health of the tooth and ultimately relieve your pain.
Root Canal Therapy
Our endodontists are experts in root canal therapy, which is a common dental procedure that can save your natural teeth and prevent the need for dental implants or bridges down the road.
Cracked Teeth
If left untreated, cracked teeth can allow bacteria to enter the tooth and infect the tooth pulp. Quick treatment is the best way to prevent infection and relieve pain while chewing.
Dental Trauma
Whether your injury is the result of a car accident, sports mishap, or bad fall, dental trauma requires prompt treatment to save the tooth and prevent infection.
Advanced Root Canal Therapy
Thanks to advances in technology, root canal therapy has drastically improved over the years. We use cutting-edge equipment and the latest techniques to treat our patients.
Sedation Dentistry
We provide the latest sedation and relaxation techniques to make your endodontic treatment as smooth and comfortable as possible.