Gary J Johnson, DDS
703-883- 3990
Award-Winning Endo

As a specialist, Dr Johnson has a number of tooth saving solutions, that may not be available at a dentist's office.

Root canal therapy is the primary procedure we do every day. But we have more! We have a range of choices to save your tooth since this is all we do. Our office is also explicitly set up to evaluate and do what is needed.

Besides, varying the steps and methods we use in our root canal therapy, we have some other tools to save your tooth to improve the likelihood of success!

After evaluation, we can select the best approach available to save your tooth and relieve your pain.

Dentists often refer to us for these reasons.

APPROACHES, PROCEEDURES,
EVALUATIONS, AND TECHNIQUES

Root canal Therapy

Endodontic (root canal) Therapy is a procedure to retain a tooth, which may otherwise require extraction. Endodontic (meaning within the tooth) or Root Canal Therapy consists of removing infected tissue inside the tooth and then filling in and sealing the space left behind. The infected tissue inside the tooth occurs when decay (caries), cracks and or dental restoration have penetrated far enough into the tooth to allow bacteria to enter into the pulp. The pulp is the inner tissue of the tooth. It has blood vessels, nerve endings, connective tissue and various specialized cells that help in the development of the tooth.

Retreatment

Retreatment of root canal therapy may be required when contamination occurs to the inside of the tooth, or Due to narrow or curved canals that are unable to be treated. Retreatment requires removal of any dental fillings, posts, and previous root canal fillings.

Endodontic Surgery

Endodontic Surgery may sometimes improve success enabling the doctor to reach parts of the canal system that conventional root canal therapy cannot and increase the healing of tissues around roots.

Cracked Teeth

Have you ever had erratic pain from your teeth? You bite and have an unexpected shock, not unlike static electricity. It may not happen every time, but if you happen to chew in just the wrong way it sends you a jolt. Or, you may have suddenly developed sensitivity to hot or cold, that previously had not occurred. Also, a tooth that continues to ache for 5 or more minutes immediately after contact with cold. If you have symptoms like these, a crack may have developed in your tooth.

If you have these symptoms or are suspicious of a cracked tooth, it is advisable to check with an endodontist soon. Endodontist specializes in saving incomplete fractured teeth. We are not talking about sensitivity to cold or hot that has occurred over a period. This type of sensitivity is likely due to decay, the recession of gums or dentin exposure, see your general dentist for these kinds of symptoms.

Tooth cracks may come from an injury, clinching or just wear. The sooner you have these teeth evaluated by an endodontist, the better the outcome. Dentists may have difficulty localizing the tooth in question as they often come and go. We have some tools such as transillumination, a surgical microscope, loops, and other ways to locate and determine the extent of the crack and the treatment needed.

More...

Beyond the types of treatment, we can vary steps in the procedure. For example, in a long-standing infection, the placement of Ca(OH)2 in the canals before completion and filling of the root canal may resolve more stubborn infections. Calcium hydroxide may also be helpful in retreatment.

Alternative treatment

There are alternate choices to root canal therapy such as tooth extraction or abstaining from care. Delay of treatment or opting out of treatment may result in pain, swelling, loss of teeth, and spread of infection to other parts of the body. Tooth extraction will likely require a prosthetic device such as a bridge, denture or dental implant in combination with a crown or other prosthesis.

Healing

Healing after these procedures occurs with time. A natural part of healing is inflammation. Inflammation may include discomfort, tenderness, and even swelling in the areas around the treatment. Endodontic treatment is unique with each tooth treated. The healing time may vary depending on the individual situation.

After your Root Canal Treatment:

The endodontic treatment utilizes local anesthesia, allowing patients to drive home or return to work the same day.

Do not eat until the numbness from the local anesthesia has worn off to avoid biting the tongue, cheek, or tissues in the area.

Avoid chewing on the treated tooth until a permanent restoration placement. It is imperative that you return to your general dentist as soon as possible following the completion of this procedure.

Crowns are required on posterior teeth to avoid fracture, future infection, loss of the tooth, and may be needed even on anterior teeth.

You may brush and floss your teeth. Avoid flossing any temporary restoration until a permanent replacement is placed to avoid dislodging it.

Treatment must occur in a timely fashion to avoid re-infection or fracture and loss of the tooth. Several visits may be required. Therefore, it is crucial that you keep your scheduled appointments.