Our Services
You and your family can take advantage of a full range of dental services here at Drexel Hill Endodontics. During each visit, you will be treated by trained professionals who will provide top-quality care to prevent dental problems and treat current conditions.
Root Canal Treatment
Root canals are one of the most common dental procedures performed by endodontists. Also known as root canal therapy, root canals are performed on teeth with infected pulp to heal the diseased tooth and avoid extraction. This single treatment can help save your natural teeth and prevent you from having to get dental implants or bridges.
At the center of each of your teeth is a collection of blood vessels that provide structure and help form and calcify the tooth as it was growing. This collection of blood vessels is called the pulp. The pulp becomes injured or infected through trauma to the tooth, extensive decay, chipping or cracking, or through repeated dental procedures. Once the pulp becomes infected, it can be identified through visible injury or swelling around the tooth and sensitivity to pressure, pain, or temperature in the tooth and gums.
Root canals are most effective when performed by endodontists. These specialists have spent several years training in advanced therapies and procedures, and are better equipped to perform these dental procedures to save your natural tooth and avoid extraction.
How Root Canal Therapy Works
During root canal therapy, we will remove the infected pulp and thoroughly clean the root to then reshape the canal. To end the root canal, we will seal the tooth by using a biocompatible material and temporary filling. This procedure is typically done under local anesthesia to reduce any discomfort and pain the patient may experience during or after treatment. Root canals have an impressive 90% success rate with most procedures taking place in one session. Patients maintain the ability to drive home afterward and return to normal everyday activities shortly after their root canal. In some cases, we may place a crown on the treated tooth to better protect the root canal and ensure you regain full function and strength of your tooth.
For more information on root canal therapy or to schedule an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 610-446-3990.
Root Canal Retreatment
Here at Drexel Hill Endodontics, we are dedicated to providing the best care for our patients.
With proper care, your endodontically treated tooth will last as long as your natural teeth. Yet, pain may continue to exist or a tooth may fail to heal. Sometimes pain may occur months or years after treatment. If so, you may need an endodontic retreatment.
Some situations that may result in new problems or improper healing are:
Complicated canals were not detected during the initial treatment.
Curved or narrow canals weren’t treated.
The restoration was not placed within the appropriate amount of time following the procedure.
The restoration did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.
New problems such as decay or a cracked or loose-fitting crown can also expose the tooth to new infections.
Retreatment involves the doctor reopening the tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material. The restorative material will be removed. The doctors will clean your canals and examine the problematic tooth. Once cleaned, the doctor will fill and seal the canals and place a temporary filling in the tooth.
Endodontic Surgery
Endodontic surgery may be used to locate fractures or hidden canals that do not appear on X-rays but manifest in pain in the tooth. This procedure may also be used to treat damage to the root surfaces or the surrounding bone.
Apicoectomy or root-end resection is the most common surgery performed to save damaged teeth.
An apicoectomy is a simple procedure in which an incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed tissue. Any damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip. A filling is placed at the root-end to prevent reinfection, and the gum is sutured. The bone then heals around the root over a period of months, and full function of the mouth is restored.
After the procedure, you can expect some slight swelling while the incision heals. To alleviate any discomfort, an appropriate pain medication will be recommended. If you have pain that does not respond to medication, call our office right away.
Traumatic Dental Injury
We’ve all had that nightmare about losing or cracking our teeth, but to have it happen in real life can be quite upsetting and painful. Traumatic dental injuries can be the result of an accident or a sports-related injury and can include anything from chipping a tooth to having a tooth or multiple teeth knocked out. When you experience a traumatic injury to your mouth or a tooth, it is imperative to seek help from a medical professional as soon as possible. Endodontists are trained in saving injured teeth, and depending on the severity of your injury, there may be several treatment options available to you.
For cracked or chipped teeth, we can repair the tooth by reattaching the broken piece (if you have it) or by adding a tooth-colored filling to the affected area. If the pulp of the tooth is exposed or damaged, a root canal may be necessary. Generally speaking, front teeth cracks, fractures, or chips are more accessible and easier to treat than those of back teeth. If a back tooth is injured, a root canal and crown may be recommended as we make sure the crack does not extend further into the root.
Dislodging a tooth occurs when the tooth gets pushed further into the socket, sideways, or partially out of the socket. To reposition a dislodged tooth, we can stabilize the tooth through a variety of endodontic procedures. Once the tooth is stabilized, it may be necessary for your endodontist to perform a root canal to make sure your tooth stays in place.
Even a completely knocked-out tooth can be restored if you’re quick enough to receive treatment from a specialist. If you have the tooth (and can get to your endodontist within 30 minutes), there is a chance we can place the tooth back into the socket and stabilize it to naturally heal back into place. In this case, be careful not to touch the root surface.
For more information on traumatic dental injuries or to schedule an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 610-446-3990.
Cracked teeth
If you are experiencing tooth pain or sensitivity after biting into hard food or being hit in the mouth, you may have a cracked tooth that needs to be treated. Of course, blunt force trauma isn’t the only way to crack a tooth as a filling failure can also cause cracks. Cracked teeth are surprisingly common among patients of all ages and, depending on the severity, are entirely treatable.
We specialize in saving cracked teeth and offer a variety of treatment options to treat cracks dependent on the cause, location, and depth of the tooth crack. During your initial consultation, we will determine what type of crack may have occurred as well as a treatment plan that works best for you.
Types of Cracked Teeth
The most common type of tooth crack is craze lines which are tiny cracks that only affect the outer enamel of the tooth. These small cracks occur over time, are only surface-level, and are merely a cosmetic issue and cause no pain. If the craze line in a tooth is above the gumline, it is easily treatable.
More severe cracks are those that extend into the root of the tooth. These cracks can reach the pulp of the tooth and are treated with a root canal procedure with a crown placement to prevent the crack from spreading or deepening. If a crack extends well below the gumline, it is no longer a treatable crack, and the tooth will most likely need to be extracted to prevent infection.
The last type of tooth crack we treat most frequently is a vertical root fracture. Root fractures are cracks that begin in the root of the tooth and go upwards. These are usually painless and don’t exhibit any symptoms. Thus, vertical root fractures are exposed when the surrounding gum or bone becomes infected. Some vertical root fractures can be treated with endodontic surgery while others may result in tooth extraction.
For more information on cracked teeth or to schedule an appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 610-446-3990.
