What Is An Apicoectomy?

The doctors at Riverwalk Dental perform many root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  A root canal procedure involves removing any inflamed or infected tissue, and thoroughly cleaning the root canal system.  In most root canal cases, the tooth heals and doesn’t require further treatment. When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected, our doctors can perform an apicoectomy.

An apicoectomy removes damaged tissue and seals a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options.

To learn more about the apicoectomy procedure and all the services we provide, visit www.riverwalkdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Riverwalk Dental located at Canada, Alberta, T1B 4Y2, Medicine Hat, 101-7 Strachan Bay, SE, call 403-456-4994.

Dental Abscess

Most of us know how painful a mouth sore can be, which is why our doctors at Riverwalk Dental hope you never come in contact with a dental abscess. A dental abscess is a pocket of pus that forms around the root of a tooth and can result from an untreated cavity, a dental injury, or old dental work. Unfortunately if one develops, it won’t go away on its own, and our doctors will have to suggest a procedure to save the tooth.

If a tooth is infected and you don’t seek treatment, you risk developing a dental abscess. The tooth is hard on the outside, but inside, where the nerves, connective tissue, and pulp lie, once the pulp becomes dead, it can lead to an abscess. Sometimes an abscess will cause a pimple-like bump on the gum that may be accompanied by pain, swelling, and pain when you chew, and/or gum tenderness. To treat the problem, our doctors may suggest antibiotics or tooth extraction.

If you have questions or concerns about oral care or dental health, please give us a call. Riverwalk Dental is located at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit rverwalkdental.ca.

Diagnosing a Cracked Tooth

Cracked teeth are a highly variable problem, which is why at Riverwalk Dental, we want our patients to have an understanding of what will happen if one is found. Depending on the crack’s location and severity, the problem could range from merely cosmetic to necessitating extraction.

The smallest cracks, called craze lines, do not threaten the tooth’s structure and can simply be covered up. More serious cracks will often be present long before they cause pain and may only be discovered through a dental examination or when an old filling is removed. Because cracks are usually too small to be examined through x-rays, dentists often test them through other means such as probing and asking patients to report what they feel when they bite down on cotton. In cases where a cracked root is suspected, a dentist may need to cut a flap in the gum tissue in order to do a visual examination. If the root is not cracked, the problem may be fixable with a new crown. If it is, there are ways of replacing the tip of a root, but a crack the entire length of the tooth will require the tooth to be replaced. It is also necessary to determine whether the tooth has been infected, which is something x-rays are more useful for.

Dr. Jared Palmer and his team operate Riverwalk Dental at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit Riverwalk Dental.

 

Apicoectomy

The doctors of Riverwalk Dental perform many root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  During a root canal, any inflamed or infected tissue is removed and the root canal system is thoroughly cleaned.  In most cases, a root canal will clear an infection and heal the tooth.  When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected, our doctors can perform an apicoectomy.

An apicoectomy is the process of removing damaged tissue and sealing off a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options.

To learn more about the apicoectomy procedure and all the services we provide, visit www.riverwalkdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Riverwalk Dental located at Canada, Alberta, T1B 4Y2, Medicine Hat, 101-7 Strachan Bay, SE, call 403-456-4994.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Stains

Riverwalk Dental provides patients with tooth whitening treatments, but which kind of treatment is appropriate depends on the nature of the stain. If a stain is on the outside of the tooth or just slightly below the surface, it is called an extrinsic stain. But a stain could also be caused by damage to the pulp of the tooth, in which case it is called an intrinsic stain, and treating it could be more complicated.

Any kind of stain can be masked with a veneer or bonding. Since extrinsic stains are acquired from exposure to tar or dark liquids, dentists usually simply bleach them, but that won’t work on an intrinsic stain. Furthermore, damaged dental pulp might indicate a continuing infection which would threaten the patient’s health and comfort. Other possible causes include an excessive amount of fluoride exposure and the use of certain antibiotics, but we’ll need to use our imaging systems to determine whether a root canal or replacement of the crown is necessary. If there is no ongoing threat to the patient’s health, concealing the stain may be all that is required.

Riverwalk Dental is located at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit RiverwalkDental.Ca.