Endodontics

Dr. Poulos will start by thoroughly numbing a concentrated area around the tooth. A dental dam will be placed around the tooth to isolate it. This keeps it clean and dry during treatment. The treatment consists of three or four basic steps to shape, clean and seal the root canal system. The number of visits will depend on your particular case. Dr. Poulos and My Scottsdale Dentist are able to complete many cases in one or two appointments. It all depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and degree of treatment difficulty. To Dr. Poulos, it’s more important to do it the very best we can than to meet a specific time criteria.

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Since this is the human body, there are, of course, no guarantees. Root canal or endodontic therapy has a very high degree of success, up to 95%. 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 is unsuccessful or fails you still have options.

Diagnose and Treat Pain

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. Dr. Poulos is a specialist in diagnosing and treating this type of pain. Prior to every treatment, he performs a comprehensive examination to ensure that endodontic therapy is right for you.

Treating Traumatic Injuries

Pulp damage is sometimes caused by a blow to the mouth, and My Scottsdale Dentist can treat 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. An endodontist is specially trained in procedures for replanting teeth that have been knocked out of their sockets.

Will I need to return to your office for Additional Visits?

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.

Retreatment

Occasionally a tooth that has undergone endodontic, treatment fails to heal or pain continues despite therapy. Although rare, sometimes a tooth initially responds to root canal therapy but becomes painful or diseased months or years later. When either of these situations occur, the tooth often can be maintained with a second endodontic treatment.