by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Dec 4, 2023 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Root Canal
Root canal treatment of a damaged or infected natural tooth can enable it to last a lifetime. However, like most treatments, you as the patient must do your part to ensure your procedure is successful.
Proper root canal treatment aftercare can be divided into things you should do immediately after the procedure, during recovery week, and things you should do over the long run. Let’s take a look at each set of instructions so you’ll be well prepared when you have your root canal treatment.
Aftercare Tips: Immediately After Your Root Canal Treatment
Do not eat for several hours after your root canal. This allows the local anesthesia to wear off – you will avoid biting injuries due to numbness.
Do not smoke after your root canal treatment. Smoking tobacco impedes healing.
Make sure you have antibiotics prescribed by your endodontist. This allows you to continue to fight any infection in your tooth.
Keep the endodontist’s contact information handy in case there is post-procedure pain. You should NOT have excruciating pain after a root canal – if you do, call the office so they can look into what is happening.
Aftercare Tips: The Week After Your Root Canal Treatment
Do not bite down using the tooth that received the root canal. Until you’ve had a permanent restoration (usually a crown) placed, you could lose your temporary filling by putting biting pressure on the tooth.
Stick to soft foods while your mouth is healing. You can choose from delicious options that include scrambled eggs, smoothies, yogurt, pasta, noodle dishes, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, hummus, cooked vegetables, or sorbets.
Ease back into your regular activities. You can go to work in a day or two, and start exercising a few days after that. When in doubt, don’t push things; let your body guide recovery.
Aftercare Tips: When Your Root Canal Treatment Is Finished
Make sure you get the permanent restoration (usually a crown) placed over your root canal. This one step is critical to protecting the root canal and cannot be skipped.
Continue to brush and floss daily. You can care for your tooth that received the root canal as you would any natural tooth after the healing stage is complete.
Visit your general dentist regularly. They will monitor your overall oral health and can refer you to an endodontist if you need another root canal or a root canal retreatment.
“Most of the steps that we ask our patients to take after a root canal treatment are simple, but they should be followed closely,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with Phoenix Endodontics Group. “We are happy to discuss how to follow aftercare instructions and why they are important.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Nov 3, 2023 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Root Canal
When times are tough, folks yearn for the “good old days.” However, most of us wouldn’t really want to travel back in time for complex dental work. For endodontic procedures such as root canal therapy, patient outcomes and happiness have improved immensely, on the heels of improvements in technology and treatment techniques.
Here’s a brief list of just some ways root canal therapy has gotten better over recent generations.
Advancements In Root Canal Therapy
1. Diagnostic imaging, for better treatment. When root canals were first performed, dentists didn’t have even basic imaging technology to guide their work. Today, treatments can be pinpointed with Cone Beam Computed Tomography, allowing endodontists a full 3-D view of your teeth.
2. Local anesthetics allow a comfortable treatment. The earliest root canal treatments happened before the advent of anesthesia. Today’s patients have largely pain-free experiences through local anesthetics. Further, if dental anxiety is an issue, sedation dentistry can provide a gentle solution.
3. Microsurgical tools allow precision canal cleaning and shaping. The first root-canal shaping tool was developed by Edwin Maynard in the mid-1800s, created from a watch spring. Today’s precise tools for cleaning and shaping infected root canals are developed task-specifically, continually refined, and always crafted with your teeth in mind.
4. New cleansing technologies ensure more complete treatment. Top endodontic practices now use the GentleWave Procedure, a root canal treatment that uses fluid dynamics to ensure superior canal cleaning. The result is a faster, less invasive root canal with minimal pain and rapid healing.
5. Restorations ensure root canal treatments remain successful. Early root canal treatments were not followed by the placement of restorations such as a permanent crown. This critical step has hugely enhanced the long-term success rate of root canals, allowing a properly cared for root canal treatment to often last a lifetime.
At Phoenix Endodontic Group, practitioners use all our available advances to provide state-of-the-art treatment.
“When you enter one of our treatment rooms, every aspect of your root canal treatment has been evaluated and selected to provide you with the safest, most comfortable treatment possible. Our goal is preserving your natural teeth, so you can enjoy them for a lifetime,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, founder of the practice.
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 | 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.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Apr 25, 2023 | Blog, Root Canal
Few dental procedures are the subject of as much misinformation as root canals. The procedure has existed for hundreds of years. However, advances in medical knowledge and endodontic technology have continually refined how root canals are performed, as well as how effective they are.
If you have an infected or damaged tooth, and your dentist has recommended you get a root canal, you should carefully read the most up-to-date information available. Here are five timely fast facts related to root canals to help you understand what’s involved in the process and how it works.
5 Important Things To Know About Root Canals
1. Root canals treat tooth pulp that has become infected. The procedure is named for the canals in your tooth, which are filled with dental pulp containing nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Dental pulp keeps your teeth alive.
2. Successful root canals can preserve natural teeth for a lifetime. Root canal treatment saves your teeth from extraction. The endodontist cleans the tooth canals and removes the infected dental pulp. Biocompatible material such as gutta-percha replaces infected pulp and the tooth receives a crown to protect it from further damage.
3. Endodontists specialize in performing root canals. Endodontics is a specialty field within dentistry. Endodontists have two to three extra years of training in methods for preserving natural teeth. Additionally, endodontists typically perform an average of 25 root canals a week, while a general dentist performs far fewer.
4. Root canals relieve pain rather than causing it. Modern root canals bear little resemblance to the procedures of even your parents’ or grandparents’ day. Patients overall report a significant decrease in pain after their root canal.
5. Root canal treatments have become far less invasive. Gentlewave technology, for example, is an exciting recent development in endodontics using fluid dynamics and special irrigating fluid to clean tooth canals more efficiently. This minimally invasive approach to root canal treatments results in even less postoperative pain than a traditional root canal.
“Patients who come to our practice are often very surprised how effective modern root canals can be in stopping tooth pain – and greatly relieved,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “We are happy to speak with anyone about needing a root canal before they come in, so they can feel relaxed and confident.”
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Mar 21, 2023 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Phoenix Endodontic Group, Root Canal
Pain sends many patients to the dentist. This is certainly the case when it comes to patients who need root canals. However, not feeling pain does not mean you don’t need a root canal.
Root canals are an endodontic technique to preserve natural teeth that have irreversible pulpitis, an infection of the nerve pulp of a tooth not able to be treated successfully. This condition can result from severe decay or an injury to the tooth. Often there is pain, but not always.
Here are a few important reasons to look beyond pain to discover whether your tooth needs a root canal treatment.
Looking Beyond Pain – Root Canal Treatment
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Your endodontist is looking for infection as the cause of your troubles, not pain. Inflammation in the tooth’s nerve pulp is the cause the endodontist is looking for. Pain can accompany inflammation, but it is not a reliable guide to diagnosis.
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Pain is only one symptom of needing a root canal. Other symptoms include teeth that are sensitive to heat or cold, swelling of the face or gums, or teeth that become gray or discolored.
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Your infection may be draining, perhaps temporarily reducing pain, but also pouring foul toxins into your mouth. A pimple on the gum, called a fistula, or other types of pus drainage from the tooth are also symptoms of pulpitis. These conditions may temporarily reduce your pain, but the tooth will still need treatment: a root canal.
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Pain associated with inflamed nerve pulp can be inconsistent. If your dentist puts you on an antibiotic to deal with an infected tooth, your pain may be relieved. Your pain may go away on its own, but this might be because the nerves in your tooth have died – not because the tooth is healthy again. Some patients who require root canals report “positional pain,” pain that emerges only when they sit up, lay down, or run in place.
“Determining whether a patient needs a root canal can be complex, and pain is only one factor considered in an evaluation,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Regular checkups with your general dentist and referrals to endodontic specialists as needed are the most reliable way to know if your natural teeth need a root canal to save them.”
