Babylon Endodontics

Your first visit will consist of an evaluation to determine if treatment is indicated, and if indicated what are those  treatment options. This consultation will include a discussion of risks, benefits, options, and the possible outcomes of no treatment. Treatment can be provided at the time of consultation if your condition warrants it and if scheduling allows. Current radiographs are required at time of treatment and we will take them as needed. If presenting for evaluation for a surgical or retreatment procedure you may be asked to obtain a 3-Dimensional dental scan of your tooth to obtain advanced diagnostic imaging related to your specific condition. This advanced imaging is available in our office.

Endodontists are dentists who specialize in maintaining teeth through endodontic therapy procedures, involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth, called the pulp.  The word "endodontic" comes from "endo" meaning inside and "odont" meaning tooth.  Like many medical terms, it's Greek.  All dentists are trained in diagnosis and endodontic therapy, however, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat.  That’s why you may have been referred to an endodontic specialist.

In addition to dental school, endodontists receive two or more years of advanced education in this kind of treatment. They study root canal techniques and procedures in greater depth, for diagnosis and treatment of more difficult cases. For this reason, many dentists choose to refer their patients to endodontists.

Endodontic Surgery:

Root Canal Safety:

Root Canal Treatment A Step by Step Guide:

Root Canal Retreatment Explained:

Understanding Cracked Tooth Symptoms and Treatment:

Endodontist Put Root Canal Patients at Ease:

Endodontists: Partners in Patient Care:

A local anesthetic will be given.  A sheet of latex called the "rubber dam" (we've got nonlatex ones too) will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, hence keeping it sterile during treatment and preventing you from swallowing any debri during treatment.  The treatment consists of three or four basic steps, but the number of visits will depend on your particular case.  Many treatments require 2 or 3 appointments to complete depending on the level of difficulty and until your comfortable. Our goal is NOT to complete the procedure in one 45 minute session and get paid,, but for to come back 5 or 10 years from now and say thanks for saving my tooth and avoiding an expensive tooth replacement. The majority of our practice is treating/retreating teeth that were already treated once and are not responding to their first treatment.

In any case, it depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and degree of treatment difficulty.  For us, it's more important to resolve your specific dental condition rather than to complete your treatment in a specified  time frame.  

There are, of course, no guarantees.  Root canal or endodontic therapy has a very high degree of success, up to 94%.  Teeth which can be treated near ideal have a success rate up to ninety four percent!  We will discuss with you the chances of success before any endodontic procedure to help you make an informed decision.  If a root canal or endodontic therapy does not heal you still have additional treatment options.

Oral pain such as toothaches or cracked / fractured teeth can often be difficult to pinpoint.  Because of the vast network of nerves in the mouth, the pain of a damaged or diseased tooth often is felt in another tooth and/or in the head, neck, or ear. An endodontist is a specialist in diagnosing and treating this type of pain.

Pulp damage is sometimes caused by a blow to the mouth, and the endodontist specializes in treating these traumatic injuries. For example, a blow to a child's permanent tooth that is not fully developed can cause the root to stop growing. A procedure called apexification stimulates bone to be deposited at the end of the root which makes it possible to then save the tooth through a root canal procedure. If the tooth is at a certain developmental stage a regenerative procedure may be performed that may allow the immature root to continue its normal developmental process, possibility eliminating the need to perform conventional root canal therapy. An endodontist is specially trained in procedures for replanting teeth that have been knocked out of their sockets.

Once endodontic therapy is completed your tooth should be examined periodically, usually every 6 - 12 months.  This allows us to make sure the tooth has healed or is healing properly.  You will be sent a notice in the mail when we feel it is appropriate to reevaluate the area.  Since an abscess may take 2 years to heal, our office will reevaluate the tooth for at least 1 - 2 years.

Occasionally a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment fails to heal or pain continues despite therapy. This may be due to the chronicity of the intial presenting condition. If this occurs a surgical procedure may be performed to aid the healing process.   Although rare, sometimes a tooth initially responds to root canal therapy but becomes painful or diseased months or years later. Again a surgical procedure may be considered to correct this issue. In both conditions a 3-Dimesnsional image may provide the advanced images necessary to  elucidate the cause of your symptoms.