While some people may believe that most dental procedures require the same level of experience, there are actually many separate areas of dentistry that require a specialist. There are multiple conditions and illnesses that require the expertise of an endodontic surgeon instead of a general dentist. When a nonsurgical root canal or other procedure is not enough for treatment, endodontic surgery may be the better solution.
A common procedure that endodontists perform on a regular basis is known as the apicoectomy. During this procedure, the endodontist opens the gum tissue by the tooth and examines the underlying bone. If necessary, the endodontist will remove any inflamed or infected tissue along with the end of the root. The endodontist may need to then place a small filling at the end of the root canal along with a few stitches or sutures to help the tissue heal properly.
After completing this procedure, the bone will naturally heal around the end of the root over the next few months following the procedure. Since this is only one type of endodontic surgery, it is important to ask all questions during the consultation in order to fully understand your specific situation. The other procedures are all designed to help save the tooth and prevent having to extract it entirely. If you have any concerns about feeling pain during the surgery, do not worry. While you may feel some swelling and soreness following the procedure, there will not be much of any pain. In fact, the anesthesia will wear off and you will most likely be able to drive yourself home from the appointment.
However, be sure to clarify with the endodontist if it is alright for you to drive yourself or if you need to have someone else drive you. In most cases, it is best to take the remainder of the day to relax. While many people return to normal routines the next day, your endodontist will be able to go over the best course of action during the appointment. If you are in pain following general dental procedures and are unsure of why, see an endodontist as soon as possible. An endodontist can ensure the pain goes away and the teeth remain in good health.
An endodontist will mainly use endodontic surgery when non-surgical procedure are not enough or when the fracture is small enough that they are not visible on X-rays. In other cases, endodontic surgery may also be necessary to remove calcium deposits in root canals. While the tooth can seem fairly normal on the surface, there can be an infection or other health issue underneath that is causing more problems.
A few possible scenarios in which endodontic surgery is a necessary treatment option:
There are cases in which an individual has a small fracture or canal that a dentist cannot notice on the X-ray. With endodontic surgery, the endodontist will be able to examine the entire root of the tooth and treat the problem. There is also a process known as calcification, in which calcium deposits form around the root and make the canal too narrow for a non-surgical root canal. In these cases, an endodontist will need to use surgery to clean the tooth and then re-seal it. Since each part of the tooth affects each other and the other components of the mouth, it is crucial to seek professional care. In some patients who receive a non-surgical root canal from a general dentist, there is a chance that the root will not heal properly and cause an infection to form. When this happens, it is crucial to seek endodontic surgery from a professional endodontist. If you do not treat the tooth soon, you will feel intense pain that makes daily tasks nearly impossible. People may go months or years after a root canal without any problems and suddenly have the pain strike.
With Invisalign® treatment, the patient will receive a series of aligner trays and swap out each one for the next one in the series every two weeks in order to gradually straighten the teeth.
The blue compliance indicator is a small blue dot on the aligners that will fade from blue to clear in order to indicate if the patient is wearing the aligner for the proper amount of time and where the patient is in the Invisalign® process.
ClinCheck® software allows professionals to map out the straightening process the patient’s teeth will go through with Invisalign® in great detail.
The blue compliance indicator is a small blue dot on the aligners that will fade from blue to clear in order to indicate if the patient is wearing the aligner for the proper amount of time and where the patient is in the Invisalign® process.
The gum line is the line in the mouth where the teeth and gums meet. If a patient struggles with gum recession, then the gum tissue around the teeth may begin to wear away.
Incisal ridges are the portion of the crown of the tooth that makes up the incisal portion and can be a direct cause of overbite if they are extended too far.
An iTero Element® scanner allows professionals to create a 3D image of the patient’s teeth in minutes and predict what it will take to move the teeth into proper alignment.
Malocclusion is the condition in which the upper and lower teeth do not meet properly when the bite is closed. Conditions of malocclusion can include overbite, underbite, crossbite and open bite; all of which are treatable with Invisalign®.
An overbite is a type of malocclusion that occurs when the upper teeth jut out over the lower teeth, covering them and causing other issues.
Polyurethane Resin is a USP Class VI medical grade, high molecular weight compound that makes up the Invisalign® aligners.
SmartForce attachments are small attachments that professionals place on the patient’s teeth before placing aligners to help move the teeth.
Smart Track® material is in Invisalign® aligners to increase comfort, improve control of movement, increases the speed of treatment and applies a gentle force to the teeth over time.
Smile-Scan analyzes the way a patient smiles by measuring the position of the mouth and eyes before giving a score.
Vivera® retainers are a type of retainer that consists of clear plastic material and helps to maintain orthodontic corrections after a treatment.
