Who is an Endodontist?

An Endodontist is a dental specialist who has completed additional postgraduate training after dental school to prepare him or her in treating complicated endodontic cases. Dr. Nima Dejbod has limited his practice to root canal treatment and related procedures. By referring you to an endodontic specialist, your family dentist demonstrates a personal concern for the quality of your dental care.

What about infection control?

We are very proud of our sterilization and infection control. Every item used is completely disposed of or heat sterilized after each use. All surfaces of the dental treatment rooms are disinfected with chemicals that kill bacteria and viruses. We pride ourselves on maintaining the highest standards of office cleanliness and sterility.

What is endodontic treatment?

Root canal or endodontic treatment is performed when the soft inner tissue of the tooth (the pulp) has been damaged, usually through decay or physical trauma. Treatment consists of removing the pulp and then cleaning, sterilizing, filling, and sealing the root canals. The tooth remains alive, nourished by adjacent tissues of the gums and jaw. Over 90 percent of cases are successful, while a few may require additional treatment. After root canal treatment is completed, it is very important to return to your family dentist so that a permanent restoration can be placed. Usually, a crown is needed to protect the tooth from fracture.

Toothache is defined as pain coming from one tooth or multiple teeth and gums. Some toothaches can be just a mild twinge or severe such as constant and throbbing pain.

What causes a toothache?

Toothaches can be caused by cavities, cracks on the tooth, loose filling material on the tooth, and gum recession. Trauma from heavy biting, accidents, sports, etc., can also cause toothaches.

What are symptoms of a toothache?

When a toothache is mild, symptoms include a twinge sensation from cold, hot, or sweet. Severe toothaches lead to difficulties in biting, eating, or drinking cold or hot foods, lying down, flying on an airplane, or diving. One may also experience earaches or headaches.

How do you treat a toothache?

If the toothache is mild, you can try using desensitizing toothpaste such as Sensodyne and avoid cold, hot, or sweet foods. To relieve the pain, you can take 1 to 2 tablets of over-the-counter pain killers. Then visit the dentist for treatment. If the toothache is severe, swelling on the face or gum can occur as well as a fever. With these symptoms, see your dentist immediately. Root canal therapy or other therapy may be needed.

What is latex-free endodontics?

If you are allergic to latex, we have a latex-free treatment for root canal therapy. We have non-latex gloves and latex-free rubber dams. We use biocompatible root canal filling materials.

What are the alternatives to treatment?

Once the dental pulp is diseased, the only alternative to root canal treatment is extraction. After an extraction, replacing the tooth with a bridge, implant, or partial denture is generally more costly than the root canal treatment and the crown. More importantly, you lose your natural tooth.

Is root canal treatment painful?

Root canal treatment usually involves no more discomfort than a routine filling appointment. In fact, most endodontic treatment relieves pain. Most stories of painful root canals are holdovers from the days before modern techniques and effective anesthetics were available.

Can all teeth be treated?

Some teeth cannot be treated successfully. We will explain potential complications before treatment. A few cases will require additional treatment if the tissues do not heal normally after the root canal treatment has been completed.

Endodontic Case Assessment

Advances in the understanding of endodontic pathosis, aseptic technique, and principles of canal preparation and obturation have led to significantly increased and predictable healing rates for endodontic treatment - 95% and higher under ideal conditions (Salehrabi R, Rotstein I. J Endod. 2004 Dec;30(12):846-50). However, the treatment must be delivered in a predictable manner by the treating practitioner to optimize the healing potential.

The AAE has developed practical tools to help every dentist overcome case assessment pitfalls:

Endodontic Case Difficulty Assessment Article (PDF)
This newsletter discusses endodontic treatment planning, case assessment and referral from a specialist’s perspective.
Reading List (PDF)
A comprehensive list of references supporting the topic of case assessment and referral.
AAE Case Difficulty Assessment Form and Guidelines (PDF)
The Assessment Form enables a practitioner to assign levels of difficulty to a particular case by assessing risk factors that may affect the outcome of treatment. The form may also be used to assist with referral decision making and record keeping.
Educator’s Guide to Using the AAE Endodontic Case Difficulty Assessment Form (PDF)
This guide is designed to assist educators in teaching predoctoral dental students objective evaluation and decision-making skills in endodontics.
Forging Effective Alliances for Quality Patient Care (PDF)
This article discusses the value of effective referral relationships.
Endodontic Competency White Paper (PDF)
Identifies the knowledge and skill that should provide a standard for all practitioners who diagnosis, treatment plan and perform endodontic treatment for their patients. This white paper focuses on diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis. The AAE has developed this comprehensive document outlining the minimum standards any dentist, regardless of years of experience, should meet when providing endodontic care.

Doctors

Endodontic Case Assessment