There was a time when the routine procedure employed by dentists for infected tooth roots was to extract the tooth. Extracted teeth don’t grow back. Procedures were developed for treating the infection and saving your natural teeth.
Excellent endodontic treatment is available to Queens, NY residents from Long Island Endodontics.
What Is Endodontics?
Endodontics is a highly specialized dentistry practice, the purpose of which is to save from extraction an infected or otherwise compromised tooth.
Endodontics involves the diagnosis and treatment of tooth pain from infected tooth pulp and tissues outside of the tooth roots.
What Do Endodontists Do?
An endodontist is a dentist who has additional professional education in the specialized procedures for saving infected teeth from extraction. Those procedures include:
- Root canal treatment is the primary course
- Apicoectomy is a surgical procedure employed when a root canal is not effective
- Endodontic retreatment
- Traumatic dental injuries
- Dental implants
Tooth Anatomy
A tooth includes critical parts below the gum line. Above the gum line consists of enamel. The lower part below the gum-line contains a vessel containing the pulp.
The “pulp” consists of the nerves, blood vessels, and other tissues. The pulp is encased in a canal and serves to sustain the upper part of the tooth. The root canal is vulnerable to bacteria that cause infection and painful inflammation. That infection damages the blood vessels that feed the tooth and results in its death.
That bacterial infection also inflames the tissues outside of your tooth structure. Ultimately, an untreated infection can be spread by your blood system throughout your body.
How Do You Know If You Need Endodontic Treatment?
You should seek endodontic treatment if you experience any of these symptoms of pulp infection.
- Persistent tooth pain
- Extreme sensitivity to cold or pressure
- Swollen gums
- Loose tooth
- Bad taste or pus from abscessed tissue
- Face pain or swelling and swollen glands
- Sore throat and pain from chewing
Common Endodontic Procedures
We at Long Island Endodontics practice pain-free dentistry. Most people respond effectively to usual pain suppression from Novocain. However, we understand the needs of many of our patients for more assurance.
We are experts at sedation dentistry, including nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and IV sedation. Please do not put off necessary endodontic treatment out of fear of pain. You will be comfortable here.
A root canal procedure drills through the top of the infected tooth into the root canal. The infected pulp tissue is removed. The emptied space is disinfected and filled. Sometimes a crown is added.
An apicoectomy is employed after a root canal procedure fails. It involves drilling into the tooth below the gum line to the tip of the root. The root tip is removed with infected pulp. The exposed root tip is cleaned out and sealed.
Endodontistry Available To Queens Residents
Residents of Queens have the good fortune to have access to excellent endodontic treatment from Long Island Endodontics. They are staffed by board-certified Drs Craig Berry, Wendy Rosen, and Barry Goodman, assisted by their excellent, well-trained support staff.
Dr. Goodman is committed to endodontic education and has been teaching the art of Endodontics for over 30 years. Dr. Berry has specialized in endodontics for more than 11 years. Dr. Rosen has practiced endodontic dentistry for more than 10 years.
Conclusion
An infected root canal is a serious matter. It causes severe tooth pain. But the infection can spread through your bloodstream to other parts of your body.
If you experience the symptoms described here, please see the professional staff at Long Island Endodontics in Queens, NY as soon as possible.
