by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Sep 6, 2023 | Blog, Dental Implants, Endodontist
Placing something artificial in your jaw can be intimidating. However, modern dental implant practice has been around for more than 50 years and is safe, health-enhancing, and life-changing.
If your endodontist recommends a dental implant to replace one or more natural teeth, understanding the process can help you better prepare. Here’s a brief summary.
Steps In The Dental Implant Process
Step 1: Evaluation and planning. Before the actual implant is placed, you’ll have an appointment where your endodontist performs a comprehensive examination. They will take X-rays or use technology like Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to get a three-dimensional image. They also review current medical conditions (such as diabetes) and develop a treatment plan.
Step 1a (as needed): Bone graft. If your jaw isn’t strong enough to support the implant, you may need a bone graft before the implant. This requires a separate appointment, with time in between, allowing the graft to heal.
Step 2: Pre-op preparation. Your endodontist will discuss preparations for the dental implant procedure. This includes whether you need antibiotics or should eat before your appointment.
Step 3: Natural tooth removal/dental implantation appointment. You will receive anesthesia (local or IV), ensuring the procedure is pain-free. Failing natural teeth are removed. Next, the endodontist places a titanium tooth root implant in the empty bone socket. They finish with stitching the gums above the implant.
Step 4: Osseointegration. After your dental implant is placed, the healing period lasts several months. As the bone in your jaw recovers, it grows around the implant – a process known as osseointegration. This results in the implant being solidly anchored in the jawbone.
Step 5: Placement of abutment and crown. The final step is placing the abutment, which sits atop the implant post and attaches to a crown. If you are missing multiple teeth, the abutment can also attach a set of overdentures, replacing an entire arch of natural teeth.
“Dental implants take time, even if the implant procedure only takes one appointment,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with Phoenix Endodontic Group. “We are happy to discuss step-by-step the dental implant process, so you feel 100 percent comfortable 100 percent of the time.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Aug 13, 2023 | Blog, Endodontics, Team Spotlight
Learn more about our endodontic care team at Phoenix Endodontic Group in our Team Spotlight.
Our August Team Spotlight features Suzie Salas. With a passion for precision and patient care, Suzie serves as a skilled Dental Assistant, bringing her expertise and compassion to every aspect of our practice. With a background in dentistry and a commitment to excellence, Suzie plays a pivotal role in ensuring that our patients’ experiences are comfortable and seamless. Her friendly demeanor and attention to detail create an environment where patients feel at ease, and her collaborative spirit enhances our cohesive team dynamic. Suzie’s dedication to her craft and her genuine concern for our patients’ well-being truly embody the spirit of quality care that defines Phoenix Endodontic Group.
We had a Q&A with Suzie: 
Full Name: Suzanna Salas
Job Title: Dental Assistant
What’s the day-to-day of your role like?: Assisting doctor, educating patients on root canal treatments.
What are 3 words to describe Phoenix Endodontic Group?: Caring, Efficient, Dedicated.
Before working at Phoenix Endodontic Group, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?: I was a waitress/bartender at a Mexican restaurant.
First Job: Burger King
Do you have any hobbies?: Reading, yard work, playing with grandson
Favorite food: Italian
Pet(s): Boxer: Banner; Mixed Terrier: Coco
Favorite book: Anything by James Patterson
Favorite movie: Mama Mia
Something on your bucket list: Travel
Guilty pleasure: Watching Dr. Pimple Popper
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Aug 7, 2023 | Blog, Endodontist, GentalWave, Root Canal
Phoenix Endodontics Group treats patients using the most up-to-date technology. We do this because advances inevitably bring a better experience and better post-treatment outcomes for patients.
If you come to us for a root canal, we are likely to suggest the GentleWave Procedure. Let’s look at why we prefer GentleWave technology over traditional approaches to root canals.
GentleWave – Best Current Root Canal Therapy?
1. The GentleWave Procedure leverages fluid dynamics to flush root canals clean. A traditional root canal relies on cleaning with files and other special instruments. If a spot is missed, or a canal is hard to find, some infection can remain. GentleWave’s cascade of tiny imploding bubbles more completely removes biofilm, bacterial infection, and other material from the tooth.
2. The GentleWave Procedure reaches and shakes loose debris that even skilled endodontists miss. For complex root canal systems, treatment using the GentleWave Procedure provides extra assurance that all surfaces have been cleaned and disinfected.
3. The GentleWave Procedure is less invasive than traditional root canal therapy. For those with dental anxiety, root canals can be challenging. With GentleWave, there is less scraping and tapping in the canals and less pain, resulting in a less stressful experience.
4. The GentleWave Procedure requires less time for treatment and recovery. Our patients are pleased that their root canal therapy can be completed in one session most of the time! (They will still need to promptly see their general dentist for a crown to complete restoration.) They are also happy to find they are able to return to their usual activities more quickly than after a traditional root canal, too.
“Our implementation of the GentleWave Procedure for root canal therapy has been a win-win for our practice and our patients,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, an endodontist at Phoenix Endodontic Group. “We are able to provide a more comprehensive, less invasive treatment, and patients benefit from faster treatment and reduced recovery times with less pain and anxiety.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 20, 2023 | Blog
When you have an infected or injured tooth, your first priority is to stop the pain right-now-immediately-this-instant. Or possibly yesterday. If your dentist has recommended that you see an endodontist to have a root canal to repair your tooth, you may wonder why. If the dentist could do it, why is it better to see an endodontist?
Endodontists – who are dental specialists focused on saving your natural teeth – are the providers-of-choice to perform root canals. There are a host of reasons, but here are some advantages endodontists hold over general dentists when it comes to who’s better prepared to provide root canal treatment.
Endodontists Are Your Best Choice For Root Canal Therapy
1. Endodontists have extra training. After four years of dental school, endodontists complete an additional two years training, including practicing skills in a residency program, to receive their clinical certificate in endodontic dental medicine.
2. Endodontists have access to and experience with the latest technologies. Part of endodontic training focuses on using 3-D imaging technology, digital radiographs, dental operating microscopes, and other tools that make cleaning the tiny canals in your tooth roots easier.
3. Endodontists have more experience performing root canals. General dentists perform an average of two root canals per week. Endodontists perform an average of 25 root canals per week. That adds up to a lot more root canals!
4. Endodontists can handle unusual, complex, or challenging root canals. If the tooth that needs treatment has a complex root system, is strategically necessary to complete other dental work, or has other challenges outside the norm, an endodontist is the one to call. Chances are, they’ve seen a similar situation and been able to formulate an effective treatment plan.
5. Endodontists have other treatment options to preserve your natural teeth. If your root canal treatment is ultimately unsuccessful, an endodontist can provide a retreatment or an apicoectomy (treating the canals from the root-side of the tooth) to save the tooth.
6. Endodontists are specialists in pain management. Before, during, and after the root canal, your endodontist can provide suggestions and prescribe medication to relieve any minimal discomfort you may experience.
“Only three percent of all dentists become endodontists,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontics Group. “Our specialty training allows us to provide expert care for your root canal. Schedule your consultation today.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jun 19, 2023 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Root Canal
Time is precious. That’s why, even when a natural tooth needs saving through a root canal procedure, we typically want to know how much time we’ll need to commit to the endodontist. Depending on the condition of your tooth, which tooth is getting the root canal, and a host of other factors, the amount of time needed for the root canal can vary considerably.
Here’s a brief look at some things that can impact the time required for your root canal – including care before and after the procedure itself.
Factors That Impact How Long A Root Canal Procedure Takes
1. The preliminary examination before your root canal procedure. This appointment is needed to confirm the diagnosis and help your endodontist plan your treatment.
2. You may need antibiotic treatment before your treatment. If your tooth is badly infected, you’ll need to complete a course of antibiotics before your root canal. This can delay your appointment or make the treatment itself more complicated.
3. Before the root canal itself, your endodontist will prepare your tooth. Before the actual cleaning of the tooth roots, your endodontist will have the area around the impacted tooth numbed with local anesthesia. Then a dental dam – a small sheet of latex or another material – will be placed to isolate the tooth and keep the area clean.
4. Root canal treatment itself can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. This includes cleaning the root canals, flushing them with a disinfecting agent, and placing a temporary filling. Teeth with multiple roots may take longer.
5. After the root canal treatment, you’ll need to schedule a follow-up appointment to place a permanent restoration. To provide extra protection from reinfection or additional damage, a crown is the necessary final step in the root canal process. It’s important to get a crown placed quickly to protect against new infection and ensure the root canal treatment succeeds.
“At our practice, we understand our patients have busy lives, so we provide an estimate of how long their root canal should take, from start to finish,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices at the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “We welcome questions about our time estimates and any additional steps they may want to take at home before or after the procedure.”
