At the center of your tooth is a collection of blood vessels, or pulp, that helps to build the surrounding tooth. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay, cracks and chips, or repeated dental procedures. Symptoms can be identified as visible injury or swelling of the tooth, sensitivity to temperature or pain in the tooth and gums. If you experience any of these symptoms, your dentist will most likely recommend non-surgical treatment to eliminate the diseased pulp and thoroughly clean and seal the root canal system.
With the appropriate care, your teeth that have had endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. Yet, a tooth that has received treatment may fail to heal or pain may continue to exist. Sometimes, the pain may occur months or years after treatment. If so, Dr. Milroy may need to perform Endodontic Retreatment.
Occasionally, a root canal will not be sufficient to heal the tooth and Dr. Milroy will recommend surgery. The most common surgery used to save damaged teeth is an apicoectomy or root-end resection where an incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the bone and surrounding inflamed tissue. The damaged tissue is removed along with the end of the root tip. A root-end filling is placed to prevent reinfection of the root and the gum is sutured. The bone naturally heals around the root over a period of months restoring full function.
Injuries to the mouth can cause teeth to be pushed back into their sockets or knocked out completely. Depending on the severity of the injury and/or the way the avulsed tooth was stored (If possible, put it back into the socket, or place in milk or a glass of water and add a pinch of salt), Dr. Milroy or your general dentist may replace or reposition and stabilize your tooth. Root canal treatment is usually started soon after the injury, based upon the stage of root development.
Our office has invested in the very best quality Zeiss surgical microscopes. This revolutionary technology provides unparalleled magnification and illumination for our surgical procedures. We also use utilize state-of-the-art, small volume cone-beam CT technology for highly accurate, 3-D radiographic images for the diagnosis, planning and treatment of endodontic disease. Digital imaging and digital x-rays are also utilized to help us retrieve valuable diagnostic information and easily transfer patient images to specialists or insurance companies.