Laser Therapy
Laser therapy potentially offers a more comfortable treatment option for a number of dental procedures involving hard or soft tissue compared to drills and other non-laser tools. The instrument creates light energy in a very narrow and focused beam. This laser light produces a reaction when it hits tissue, allowing it to remove or shape the tissue.
Laser dentistry is used in a variety of procedures, including:
- treating hypersensitivity
- treating tooth decay
- treating gum disease
- whitening teeth
Lasers can make dental treatments more efficient, cost effective, and comfortable.
Benefits of using laser therapy over other methods.
- There is potentially a decreased need for sutures with soft tissue lasers.
- Bleeding is minimized in treated soft tissues, as the laser promotes blood clotting.
- With some procedures, anesthesia is unnecessary.
- The chance for bacterial infections is lower because the laser sterilizes the area.
- Wounds can heal faster, and it’s possible for tissue to regenerate.
- The procedures may involve less damage to the surrounding tissues.
Endodontic Retreatment
With proper care, you’ll keep teeth that have had root canal treatment for a lifetime but it’s possible for those teeth to heal improperly, becoming painful or diseased months or even years after treatment. If this happens to your treated teeth you have a second chance to save the tooth with retreatment. An additional procedure may be able to diminish dental pain or discomfort and promote healing. If you suspect a tooth that had a prior root canal requires retreatment, visit your endodontist for evaluation.
As with any dental or medical procedure, it’s possible your tooth won’t heal as expected after initial treatment for a variety of reasons, including:
- Narrow or curved canals were not treated during the initial procedure.
- Complicated canal anatomy went undetected in the first procedure.
- The placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed following the endodontic treatment.
- The restoration did not prevent salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth.
- A new problem can also jeopardize a tooth that was successfully treated, such as:
- New decay can expose the root canal filling material to bacteria, causing a new infection in the tooth.
- A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling can expose the tooth to new infection.
- A tooth sustains a fracture.
During retreatment, the endodontist will reopen your tooth and remove the filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure. The endodontist then carefully examines the tooth, looking for additional canals or new infection. The endodontist then removes any infection, cleans and shapes the canals, and places new filling materials. The opening is then sealed with a temporary filling. Once the tooth heals, a new crown or other restoration is placed on the tooth to protect it.
Endodontic Surgery
Endodontic surgery can be used to locate small fractures or hidden canals previously undetected on X-rays during the initial treatment. Surgery may also be needed to remove calcium deposits in root canals, or to treat damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone of the tooth.
Advanced technologies like digital imaging and operating microscopes allow these procedures to be performed quickly, comfortably and successfully.
There are many surgical procedures that can be performed to save a tooth. The most common is called an apicoectomy, or root-end resection, which may be needed when inflammation or infection persists in the bony area around the end of your tooth after a root canal procedure.
Your endodontist performs this micro surgical procedure first making you comfortable by applying local anesthesia Before opening the gum tissue near the tooth to see the underlying bone and to remove any inflamed or infected tissue.
The very end of the root is also removed. A small filling may be placed to seal the end of the root canal and a few stitches or sutures are placed to help the tissue heal. In the next few months, the bone will heal around the end of the root.
Most patients return to their normal activities the next day. Post-surgical discomfort is generally mild.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is used to support one or more false teeth. It is a titanium screw that can replace the root of a tooth when it fails. Just like a tooth root, it is placed into the jawbone.
Are implants safe and how long will they last? Implants are a safe, well-established treatment. It's probably true to say that implants, much like natural teeth, will last for as long as you care for them.
How well you look after your implants - and whether you go for your regular maintenance appointments - will have the biggest impact on how long they will last.
If you don't look after your implants they will develop a coating similar to what you get on neglected natural teeth. Left untreated, this can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort. You could get all these problems with natural teeth.
If your implants are well looked after, and if the bone they are fitted to is strong and healthy, you can expect them to last for many years. However, just as with other surgical implants (such as a hip replacement) there is no lifetime guarantee.
Digital X-Rays
Quality imaging equipment is crucial to providing patients with adequate dental care. Dentists rely on x-rays to identify dental problems, guide themselves during treatments, and educate patients about dental hygiene. Digital x-rays let dentists take images safely and effectively, offering the following benefits:
Reduced Radiation Exposure
By using digital x-rays, dentists can significantly reduce their patients’ exposure to radiation. Digital imaging does not produce as much radiation as film does, and because it takes pictures faster, patients don’t have to be exposed for as long. Doctors who use digital imaging are still encouraged to cover patients with lead aprons and take other methods to minimize patients’ exposure.
Higher Quality Imaging
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the dental industry is no exception. The sooner dentists can catch cavities and other dental problems, the easier and less expensive the treatment can be. Catching dental problems early, however, requires quality imaging equipment. Compared to film x-rays, digital imaging allows dentists to take more precise, detailed pictures of patients’ teeth. A digital image is much more likely to pick up cavities when they’re still small enough to be fixed with non-invasive fluoride treatments. They can also catch development problems, cysts, bone loss, tumors, and decay earlier than other forms of x-rays can.
Because digital x-rays take more detailed pictures, dentists who use them are less likely to have to re-take their pictures. Digital scans also develop immediately, reducing patient wait times and allowing doctors to act more quickly during complex dental procedures.
all-about-root-canals
A root canal (also known as an endodontic treatment) is a serious procedure, but one that we handle everyday.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is the process of medically removing a seriously injured or diseased tooth. Also known as endodontic treatment, a root canal is the best way to relieve serious pain and make teeth healthy again. In addition to relieving pain, a root canal also helps protect surrounding teeth from excessive wear or strain.
Microscope In Dentistry
A dental microscope is an important tool that allows for better visualization through magnification of objects.
No matter how talented a dentist might be, if a they doesn't use an operating microscope for dental work, they are handicapping themselves. The human hands can perform tasks with much great accuracy than even the strongest human eyes can see. The high powered magnification of the microscope allows for pristine and perfect dental work, a dentist needs great visualization.
This offers some unique benefits to the most important person in the room: the patient.
FAQS
Does a root canal hurt?
A root canal is generally a bit sore or numb after the procedure, and can even cause mild discomfort for a few days.
Can I go to school or work after getting a root canal?
Most patients are able to return to school or work directly following a root canal. However, most physician advise against eating until the numbness is completely gone.
Do implants hurt?
You will not feel any pain at the time but, just like after an extraction, you may feel some discomfort during the week after the surgery.
How do you know if you need a root canal?
Root canals are needed for a cracked tooth from injury or genetics, a deep cavity, or issues from a previous filling.
How long does a root canal take?
Roughly 90 minutes to complete per tooth. Most anterior teeth can be completed in one hour, while premolars and molars can take up to two hours to complete.
How long does the treatment take?
Usually the false teeth are fitted 3 to 4months after the implants are put in. Sometimes treatment takes longer and our dental team will be able to talk to you about your treatment time.