by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Dec 1, 2014 | Blog, Dentistry, Endodontics, Mission of Mercy
The Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation (CADSF) is hosting its 3rd annual Dental Mission of Mercy event at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fairgrounds Dec 12th-13th, bringing together hundreds of dental professionals who will provide free care to adults and children.
The Coliseum floor will be transformed into a clinic with more than 100 portable dental units staffed by nearly 1,500 volunteer dentists, hygienists, lab technicians, assistants and lay people. Approximately $1.5 million in free care is expected to be delivered to over 2,000 patients on a first-come, first served basis during the two day period. Patients are advised to arrive early. Doors to the clinic will open at 6:00 am. Treatment will be performed both days from 6:00 am – 6:00 pm.
As in past years, the emphasis will be on relieving pain and infection. Dental services such as fillings, extractions, cleanings, as well as limited lab work will be provided to both adults and children of all ages. All patients will undergo a limited medical screening and those who have medically compromised conditions, such as extremely high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes or severe disabilities may not be able to be treated in this setting, and will be referred to other community resources.
Arizona residents suffer from higher rates of dental disease than many other states, and this is one way we can give back to the community while providing critical dental care to those who need it most, said Dr. Pat Rabot, a Phoenix Oral Surgeon and CADS Foundation Board President. We also hope to raise awareness about the increasing difficulties that low-income adults and children face in accessing necessary dental care. Arizona discontinued adult dental AHCCCS benefits in 2010 during the budget cuts of the great recession. The demand for care during this event proves how much the most vulnerable members of our community need this program to be restored.
A recent survey found that 21 percent of Arizona adults and 31 percent of all Arizona children have never had a dental check-up.
About CADS AZ Mission of Mercy: Originating in Virginia and spreading throughout the United States, more than 70 Mission of Mercy dental programs have been conducted since 2000 to provide free dental care to local residents who otherwise were unable to receive it. For more information on CADS AZ Mission of Mercy click here.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Sep 22, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Root Canal
Root canal pain is a type of pain in its own special category of misery. This agony sends many patients to Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of Phoenix Endodontic Group for help. Here’s what you should know about this problem and how Dr. Allen can solve it!
Even patients in excellent dental health could experience a root canal problem. Imagine biting down on a piece of ice and accidentally cracking your tooth. The nerve in the tooth becomes inflamed and unhappy, letting you know about the problem with intense pain. This situation is made worse if infection sets in by way of the crack, which may be unnoticeable. Expect Throbbing, aching, dull, or intense pain, according to Dr. Allen.
Another contributor to root canal pain is decay, which again may not be obvious to the patient. As a tooth decays, bacteria grows and eventually will cause the tooth’s inner pulp to be infected. Swelling may occur throughout the mouth and jaw and could even include your face and neck. Forget about sleeping through the night or wishing to chew anything firmer than a banana once the issue has progressed this far.
Root canal pain can result from a variety of reasons but in general it is from an inflamed nerve inside of the tooth or a dental pulp abscess (which is a dead nerve). One is inflammation and the other is infection, says Dr. Allen.
The good news is that Dr. Allen can make this pain a very temporary situation through advanced technology and modern root canal treatment. The inner part of the tooth must be thoroughly cleaned and all infected tissue removed. The tooth will then be filled with a durable material called gutta percha. Sealing the tooth follows, and the process is completed with the installation of a crown. Before you know it, you are pain-free and your smile is dazzling!
The best prevention for dental issues is a routine exam. Should a problem be discovered or you experience the type of sudden injury described above, Dr. Allen and Phoenix Endodontic Group are well equipped to get you back to smiling!
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Sep 15, 2014 | Blog, Dentistry, Endodontics
Autumn in Arizona is a fantastic time of year for a sports-enthusiast, and a very busy time for Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, your Phoenix Endodontist. As the weather cools down enough for outdoor activities, people forget to protect their teeth during play and suffer the consequences. Sports related dental injuries are easily avoidable. Here’s what you should know before this season.
The most common sports-related tooth injury seen in Dr. Allen’s office is gruesome. A blow to the front teeth by a body part like an elbow or knee, or from an object like a baseball or bat will often knock teeth loose, break or chip them, dislodge them completely. Dr. Allen also mentions that falling on your face is probably second, like skate boarding and eating concrete or a rail. Not only are these injuries incredibly painful but they can do permanent damage if not treated correctly.
To prevent most sports related dental injuries, Dr. Allen reminds you to wear a mouth guard. Mouth guards are effective in preventing injury, she says, and they are found in just about any discount store or sporting goods retailer. For a very inexpensive investment you can protect your teeth from serious damage.
If you suffer dental harm during a sporting activity your first action should be to get to Dr. Allen’s Phoenix Endodontist practice. Recover dislodged tooth or teeth if possible, picking them up by the chewing surface (never the root) and very gently rinsing it off with plain water. Do not use any chemicals or soaps or wrap it. If you can, gently place the rinsed tooth back in the tooth socket and keep it in place with your fingers or by softly clamping your teeth together. If you’re unable to do this, store the tooth in milk and seek emergency help right away. Your best chance of saving the tooth is with the help of a qualified Phoenix Endodontist such as Dr. Allen.
Fall sports injuries are very preventable, but should you experience one you must handle it quickly to save your smile. Dr. Allen and Phoenix Endodontic Group are here to help!
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Sep 8, 2014 | Endodontics, Phoenix Endodontic Group, Root Canal
There comes a point in almost everyone’s life where they are faced with dental pain sometimes from infection, sometimes from an injury, and sometimes for no specific reason at all. When that happens to you, your best option is to see a dentist that specializes in dealing with pain and infection that come from inside the tooth is an Endodontist.
At Phoenix Endodontic Group, our dentists received specialty training after dental school to learn how to best treat patients that have acute tooth pain. We do not do hygiene, crowns, bridges or other restorations is our focus is on root canals and getting our patients out of pain.
We would like you to know what to expect when you visit our office for the first time. Phoenix Endodontic Group is a paperless office that means you can fill out your registration and health history prior to arriving at our office via our HIPPA compliant, secure website. Because we are not your regular dentist, we need to find out as much about you as we can in terms of your health history, medications taken and prior dental experience.
If you have been referred to Phoenix Endodontic Group, your dentist should have provided a referral form and x-ray of the area to be considered for treatment. We would also need to obtain your dental insurance information (if applicable) so that we can assist you in filing a claim for the office visit.
Each patient is unique and no two root canals are the same. That being said, on your first visit you will always have an x-ray taken by our staff and a consultation by one of our endodontists. After the consultation, if treatment is needed will schedule back to do this on a different day.
Other patients will elect to begin the root canal procedure at this first visit. If treatment is started at the first visit, the goals are to diagnose the problem, open the tooth and remove the nerve (the source of the issue). If the patient has an abscess or is otherwise uncomfortable, medication will be placed inside the tooth and the patient may be prescribed additional medications.
Because Phoenix Endodontic Group is a specialty office, there is no guarantee that root canal treatment will be finished at the first visit, some are. Other root canals require a second visit to finish the appointment is usually two weeks later. The time in between allows the tooth to heal as medication would have been placed inside the tooth at the first visit. Once the patient is asymptomatic, the treatment is completed.
Whether your root canal requires one visit or two, Phoenix Endodontic Group will always provide the highest standards of patient comfort and care found anywhere.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Sep 4, 2014 | Endodontics, General Information, Patients, Root Canal
When teeth in your mouth start to hurt and cause discomfort (and it happens to just about everyone), you may become faced with a decision to either 1) save your tooth with a root canal and a crown or 2) extract your tooth and do nothing else or 3) extract your tooth and have an implant placed. Let’s look in depth at all of these options.
1) Save Your Tooth – This is our mission at Phoenix Endodontic Group. We believe strongly that a person is much better off with their natural tooth in their mouth than placing a dental implant. Of course there are many factors to consider when making this decision and we feel the patient should always be a part of the decision making process before treatment is rendered. Phoenix Endodontic Group has invested in the latest endodontic technologies which help to make informed decisions about necessary dental treatment.
2) Extract Your Tooth – Sometimes a patient will want to just have the tooth extracted without any further restoration or treatment. This option works for some patients where there still are opposing teeth and chewing and biting will not be compromised by the extraction. Of the three options mentioned, this would of course be the least expensive because no further treatment would be needed and the source of the infection is immediately removed.
3) Have a Dental Implant Placed – Over the last 10 years, dental implants have exploded in popularity as a viable treatment option for patients who have experienced tooth pain and prior endodontic treatment. Phoenix Endodontic Group feels that dental implants have a place in the treatment spectrum, however we have seen many cases where given a little more time the tooth could have been saved with a root canal. We hate to see teeth extracted unnecessarily that could have been saved. Conversely when a tooth is hopelessly cracked or fractured it becomes time for a dental implant.
Here are some of the factors to consider with all three options: which tooth is it?, age of the patient, has the tooth had prior endodontic treatment, how much is the patient willing to invest to save the tooth. In most cases and root canal and final restoration are going to cost considerably less than the cost of a dental implant and restoration.
While no dentist can know for sure just how long a root canal or a dental implant will last (yes, dental implants do in fact fail over time), Phoenix Endodontic Group informs and listens to our patients to determine the right treatment choice for their specific situation. If you are in Phoenix, and need an endodontist “give us a call today” (602) 748-4190.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Aug 4, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Root Canal
Avoidance is a problem that often leads patients to postpone visiting their Phoenix Endodontist. Many have waited too long for their root canal, and are now in major pain. Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of Phoenix Endodontic Group explains why you should never wait to have a root canal done.
When your dentist has told you that you need a root canal, you may have many emotions and may not take action immediately. Dr. Allen observes a few common reasons people put off their root canal: The three biggest fears of dental treatment are #1- Time (this will take too long), #2 – Pain (I hate going to the dentist, it always makes me hurt), and #3 – Money (patients don’t want to spend their hard earned money on an emergency dental procedure). While all of these reactions are reasonable, delaying the procedure will make things worse.
Your Phoenix Endodontist frequently has a bigger job ahead if you’ve waited to have a root canal. More extensive work may be required, or you may lose the chance to save the tooth altogether. The biggest risk is that a patient can develop an infection that becomes difficult to control. Additionally, waiting too long puts the patient at risk for having to have the tooth extracted. Waiting too long could cause the tooth to be condemned. A tooth with a damaged nerve or deep infection will not get better on its own.
Having a root canal done immediately after being told you need one provides several advantages. When the problem is caught early, it may be resolved more quickly and successfully. You’ll suffer less pain since you’ve dealt with it quickly. You are less likely to need the tooth pulled, which would result in the added expense of bone grafts and tooth implants down the road. You’ll prevent other medical issues that can occur as a result of the infection present in the tooth.
If you are told that you need a root canal, act quickly. Call Dr. Allen, your Phoenix Endodontist, to bring your smile back to life!
