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Root canal treatment is an often straightforward procedure to relieve dental pain and save your teeth. Patients typically need a root canal treatment when there is an inflammation or an infection in the roots of a tooth. During root canal treatment, Dr. Choi carefully removes the pulp inside the tooth, cleans, disinfects and shapes the root canals, and places a filling to seal the space.

During retreatment, the Dr. Choi will reopen your tooth and remove the filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure. Dr. Choi then carefully examines the tooth under microscope, looking for additional canals or new infection. He will then remove any infection, cleans and shapes the canals, and places new filling materials. The opening is usually sealed with a temporary filling. Your general dentist will restore the tooth with a filling or a new crown to protect the it.

Endodontic surgery can be used to locate small fractures or hidden canals previously undetected on X-rays during the initial treatment. Surgery may also be needed to remove calcium deposits in root canals, or to treat damaged root surfaces or the surrounding bone of the tooth.

There’s no need to worry about surgery if your endodontist prescribes this additional measure. Advanced technologies like digital imaging and operating microscopes allow these procedures to be performed quickly, comfortably and successfully. There are many surgical procedures that can be performed to save a tooth. The most common is called an apicoectomy, or root-end resection, which may be needed when inflammation or infection persists in the bony area around the end of your tooth after a root canal procedure.

When you have a injury to your teeth, you must seek dental care as soon as possible. Dr. Choi is trained to manage such dental traumas. If the dental injury involves fracture of the tooth, it can expose the nerve inside the tooth. If the tooth is partially or completely pushed comes out of the socket, you have to keep the tooth back inside the socket if possible or keep it in "save-a-tooth" solution or milk and call Dr. Choi as soon as possible.