by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Feb 15, 2017 | Blog, Endodontics, Root Canal
These days, it’s becoming more and more important to be a skeptical reader when it comes to researching medical information online. While a lot of quality sites exist, some websites perpetuate misinformation, making it harder to “do your homework” before you speak with your general dentist or an endodontist about important dental procedures such as root canals.
Here are three common myths about root canals that are often found when doing an online search, as well as accurate information to counter each falsehood.
Busting the Top 3 Myths About Root Canals
Myth #1: Root canals are painful. It’s easy to see why this myth exists. Many patients who come in for a root canal are suffering from the pain of a damaged tooth, or have decay that is causing the pulp of the tooth to become infected. These conditions can be very uncomfortable and can endanger the natural tooth. However, root canal treatment typically relieves the pain caused by these conditions, and preserves the natural tooth, as well.
Myth #2: Root canals are only a temporary solution. While few dental treatments last a lifetime, if a root canal is done by a qualified endodontist, its benefits can last for many years, even decades. It’s important to have a restoration such as a crown placed over the root canal to protect it afterward and to continue a regular daily brushing and flossing routine to ensure the treated tooth remains strong.
Myth #3: Extractions are often a better choice than getting a root canal. Because of the difficulties in chewing and speaking that occur when one loses a natural tooth, and the danger of bone resorption if enough natural teeth are extracted, a root canal should at least be considered when a natural tooth is failing. Root canals have a success rate of 85 percent or more, and a tooth that’s had a root canal done can also receive a root canal retreatment or an apicoectomy if additional treatment is needed to stabilize and save the tooth.
“Root canals are a cost-effective, safe, comfortable way to preserve your natural teeth,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Learn the facts about the procedure and don’t hesitate to call a dental professional if you need a consultation.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Nov 14, 2016 | Blog, Root Canal
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here’s no reason to feel bad about being afraid of having a root canal treatment – but don’t let your fear stop you from doing something can be good for your health. More than half of Americans surveyed in 2014 said they were afraid of having a root canal performed, although more than three-quarters of those surveyed also said they wanted to preserve their natural teeth if at all possible – something that root canals have a very good track record of doing.
Here are a few of the top fears that people express about having a root canal treatment, paired with facts and advice to lower your fear level.
Fears and facts about root canals
Fear #1: Root canals are extremely painful.
Fact: Root canals usually relieve pain rather than cause it. Your endodontist may prescribe antibiotics to reduce infection, and he or she will use a local anesthetic to ensure the area being worked on is completely numb. The procedure itself, since it cleans out the canal and replaces the pulp of the tooth with an artificial material, has almost no pain associated with it, and post-operative discomfort is usually mild and of short duration.
Fear #2: If I have a root canal done, it may fail and I’ll have to go through the entire process again.
Fact: Root canal treatments have success rates above 90 percent, and if an appropriate restoration (such as a crown) is placed on top of the affected tooth, it can save the natural tooth for years if not decades to come. If a root canal does fail, there are additional options, including root canal retreatments and apicoectomies, that are available for saving your natural tooth.
Fear #3: If I have a root canal, I may lose the tooth anyway and I’ll have wasted money on the treatment instead of just getting an extraction.
Fact: Nothing can replace your natural teeth, so it’s best if every effort is made to save them. If you were to opt for an extraction, you’d also need to budget for a dental implant, a bridge, or dentures, the cumulative cost of which could cost far more than a root canal.
“When you have a compromised tooth that needs attention, it’s best to have the facts and not let your fears dictate the sort of treatment you receive,” says Dr. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Root canals can be an affordable, comfortable and effective treatment for an injured or infected tooth.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Oct 24, 2016 | Blog, Dental Implants, Endodontics, Root Canal
Dental implants have been offered in recent years as a panacea for fixing the problem of ailing teeth. However, the reality when it comes to treating a badly injured or infected tooth is more complex. Both endodontic procedures such as root canals and dental implants have their proper place – your dental care team can help determine what treatment will be most effective for you.
Here are four common myths related to dental implants, and the factual situation in each case.
Myths related to dental implants and root canal treatments
Myth #1: The best thing to do in all cases with an injured or infected tooth is to replace it with a dental implant.
There are a range of factors that will determine if a dental implant or a root canal is the best way to proceed. Although dental implants would appear at first glance to permanently resolve the issue with a troubled tooth, they can also cost more and require more visits to the dentist to complete. Most root canal treatments, which remove inflamed pulp and clean, fill and seal the inside of the tooth, can be accomplished in a single visit and are virtually painless.
Myth #2: Dental implants have a higher success rate than root canals.
A number of studies have shown both dental implants and root canals can have success rates of more than 95 percent. Currently, both procedures are considered excellent choices for treating an ailing tooth, and decisions to go with one procedure over the other should be based on factors related to an individual’s unique situation.
Myth #3: If you have a root canal and it fails, you need to have an extraction done and a dental implant placed.
Not necessarily. Root canals can fail for reasons that include damage to the crown protecting the treated tooth, additional tooth decay, or hidden canals that were not properly cleaned and filled the first time. However, endodontic retreatments of root canals can successfully restore the natural tooth to health in as many as 75% – 88% of all cases.
Myth #4: Your endodontist can’t help you if you need an implant.
Actually, the American Association of Endodontists has released a position statement affirming that if a endodontist determines a tooth must be extracted and a dental implant placed, he or she may proceed with the extraction and the placement of the implant if it is in the best interest of the patient.
“The decision whether to save a natural tooth or to proceed with an extraction and dental implant can be a difficult one,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Your endodontist can help you sort through your options and make the best decision for your individual health needs.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Oct 12, 2016 | Blog, Endodontics, Root Canal
Endodontically treated teeth can last a lifetime. Some of these teeth, however, may not heal properly or may develop new problems months, or even years, after they were initially treated. An additional endodontic treatment, called a retreatment (a second root canal procedure), can be performed, which could again, allow a patient to keep his or her tooth for a lifetime.
Root canal treatment is like any other medical or dental procedure. It may not heal or respond to treatment, as expected for many different reasons:
- Often times, the permanent or temporary restoration may not have prevented salivary contamination inside the tooth.
- There may have been an extended period of time between when the crown or other restoration was placed, and when the root canal treatment was completed. Most endodontists and studies agree that a definitive restoration should be placed within one month following an endodontic procedure.
- There may be canals that were undetected, or canals that were too narrow, or calcified, to negotiate for the original practitioner.
There are occasions when a new problem arises with a tooth that has been treated previously that may compromise the original endodontic procedure:
- If a tooth develops a vertical fracture after endodontic therapy, it is no longer a viable tooth to keep in the oral cavity.
- A new cavity could develop in the tooth and expose the root canal to recontamination with bacteria.
- The restoration that was placed in or on the tooth after the endodontic treatment was complete can break down, creating microleakage of bacteria into the canals, which can cause recontamination.
Before endodontic retreatment is started, the endodontist may want to take a CBCT of the tooth. A CBCT is a 3-dimensional X-ray that allows the endodontist to look at the tooth in all planes to help diagnose a pattern of bone loss that may be indicative of a vertical fracture, canal anatomy that may not have been addressed in the original endodontic therapy, and other factors that will help your endodontist determine the best treatment for the tooth.
Even though a CBCT may offer more information about why a retreatment may be necessary, sometimes the endodontist must go back into the tooth and look for a potential cause that prevented the original root canal from healing.
A retreatment procedure consists of removal of the original contents of the crown and canals and exploration of the tooth and internal root structure that remains. If any canals were missed, they are addressed at that time. If a fracture exists, then the tooth will ultimately need an extraction, and may be removed at that time or may be removed at some point in the future by another practitioner. Once these issues are addressed, and once the canals are free of their filling material, they are disinfected, and an antibacterial paste is placed in each of them. This paste may be left in the tooth for several weeks until the tooth is symptom-free, and all other clinical signs of infection have disappeared. At that point, the patient returns, and the root canals would once again be filled with the endodontic filling material and a restoration crown would top the tooth. Most endodontists will evaluate the tooth for proper healing for several years after a retreatment is performed.
Although the goal of primary endodontic therapy is to save the natural tooth for a lifetime, there may be factors that can affect that overall outcome. When this happens, other treatments can save a natural tooth for a lifetime.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Oct 3, 2016 | Apicoectomy, Blog, Root Canal
Even though contemporary root canal procedures have very high success rates, not every root canal treatment is permanently effective. Tooth root systems can be complex, and undiscovered and untreated canals can harbor infections that threaten the pulp of a tooth months, or even years, after the initial procedure.
If you’re experiencing pain and swelling around a tooth that’s received a root canal, visit your dentist or endodontist to have it examined. He or she may suggest that an endodontist perform an apicoectomy, which treats an infected tooth from its root end, rather than from the biting surface of the tooth.
Here’s a brief guide to how an apicoectomy can save a natural tooth that’s already received a root canal treatment.
Apicoectomy: A Step Beyond Root Canal Treatment
- Apicoectomies can be useful when a root canal retreatment won’t work. If the tooth has received a crown as part of its root canal process, or is part of a fixed dental bridge, those restorations will have to be disassembled and replaced to do another root canal. Accessing the infection through the root avoids this.
- An apicoectomy removes and seals the tip of the tooth root. During an apicoectomy, the endodontist will cut and lift the gum away from the tooth so the root is easily accessible. The infected tissue will be removed, along with the last few millimeters of the root tip. Then the endodontist cleans and seals the end of that root, removing a critical avenue where infection can manifest and cause problems.
- The preparation for an apicoectomy gives the endodontist an accurate picture of your natural tooth. Endodontists use state-of-the-art technology to perform apicoectomies, including fiber optic lights, operating microscopes and ultrasonic cleaning instruments that remove infection via high frequency vibration. Between this and the imaging technologies employed before the procedure, your endodontist will have an exceptionally clear picture of the health of your tooth, and what can be done to preserve it.
“If an infection threatens a tooth that’s had a root canal, and a retreatment isn’t an option, an apicoectomy can preserve it and keep it useful and functional for years to come,” says Dr. Allen of the Phoenix Endodontic Group.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 14, 2016 | Blog, Endodontist, Root Canal
If your tooth has become compromised due to disease or injury, you may be wondering what a Scottsdale endodontist can do to help you. Since even the best dental implant doesn’t function as well as your natural tooth can, it’s important to understand how Scottsdale endodontists can save your natural teeth. Here’s a brief overview of the work that these dental specialists are trained to do.
How A Scottsdale Endodontist Can Save Your Teeth
- Endodontists’ training as dental specialists focuses on preserving the inside of your tooth. Endodontists receive two to three years of training beyond general dentistry, learning how to treat problems with the pulp inside your teeth and how to diagnose and treat problems in your root canals.
- Endodontists have access to special tools and materials to treat a damaged natural tooth. They are trained in the use of special cleaning files to remove infection from a root canal. They use the sealant gutta-percha to permanently seal off tooth roots that have experienced severe infection, and they prepare the tooth to be permanently protected by receiving a crown (and sometimes a post as well) to shore up the structure of the tooth. Because root canals often permanently resolve the damage to a natural tooth, in the long run, they can prove to be less costly and less invasive than opting for a dental implant.
- Endodontists are able to use a variety of procedures to save your natural tooth. Root canals are only one of the treatments that endodontists can utilize to preserve a compromised natural tooth. They can do a root canal retreatment if needed, as well as specialized procedures such as an apicoectomy.
- Endodontists are experts in relieving tooth pain. Scottsdale endodontists are able to quickly diagnose even baffling tooth pain, ensuring your natural tooth gets treated at the earliest possible moment.
“You don’t have to live with dental pain or have damaged natural teeth extracted,” says Dr. Allen, a Phoenix endodontist who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Endodontic treatment can save your natural teeth and preserve your quality of life!”
