Root Canal Treatment : What is Root Canal Surgery?

Sometimes root canal treatment may not be appropriate, when this is the case a procedure known as an apicoectomy or more commonly known as root surgery is performed to help eliminate infection. The procedure is done in our office with local anesthesia and is usually completed within one hour. Most patients undergoing this routine root surgery can often return to work the same day. During the procedure the doctor will make a small incision into the gum tissue to expose the bone. Once this is done a small access window is made into the bone to expose the tip of the root. In most cases 3-4 millimeters of the root end is removed to eliminate the trapped bacteria in the small accessory canals or the delta of the root system. Often a retro-fill material is placed into...

Dental Implants Are the Long Term Answer

Every American has heard about George Washington’s trials and tribulations with unhealthy teeth and their wooden replacements, and some have even seen them preserved in the museum. President Washington never smiled, because of his teeth. He was the most high-ranking individual of the country at that time, yet could not enjoy the benefits of functioning teeth. His teeth affected his quality of life. In contrast, the dental techniques of today offer various alternatives for replacing teeth, as detailed in other chapters, so suffering is unnecessary. One alternative still resembles a modern version of Washington’s teeth, known as a denture, and still affects the quality of life today. There is a better alternative. Patients with loose, ill-fitting dentures that...