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If you’re scheduled for endodontic surgery at our Valdosta office in the near future, you probably have a lot of very important questions:

• Will it help? An endodontist has the skill and experience to diagnose and treat conditions affecting your inner tooth, the pulp of the tooth, and the tissues surrounding the root. Endodontists are the experts in this specialty, so you are in good hands!
• Will it hurt? Your endodontist will offer you options for anesthesia, so you can choose the sedation experience which will make you most comfortable.
• What should I do after surgery? Don’t worry! Dr. Ron Shiver will give you clear instructions on caring for the surgical site, selecting soothing diet options, cleaning your mouth, and all of the other practices that will enable a speedy and smooth recovery.
• What should I wear? Wait—fashion questions?

Yes! Part of being prepared for your surgery is being as comfortable as you can be during and after the procedure. Happily, there is no strict dress code for endodontic surgery. It’s more a basic list of recommendations for what not to wear.

• Don’t wear something you’re not comfortable in. Generally, loose fitting clothing is best.
• Don’t wear clothing that might be difficult to clean. While you and your clothing will be well protected, blood, irrigation, and other staining hazards are all occasionally part of the surgical process.
• Don’t wear something that will be difficult to remove after surgery. No one wants to struggle out of a tight turtleneck even at the best of times!
• Don’t wear jewelry. And, by the way, this includes tongue and facial piercings.
• Don’t be afraid to layer. While the office staff will try to make sure you are as warm or as cool as you would like to be, it’s a good idea to bring a jacket or sweater for extra warmth.
• Don’t wear tight sleeves. Short sleeves or sleeves that can be rolled up easily allow access to your arm if you are having IV sedation or blood pressure monitoring.
• Don’t wear contact lenses, especially if you are planning on IV sedation or a general anesthetic, because your eyes might be closed throughout the procedure.

If you have any questions in advance of your endodontic surgery, give our Valdosta office a call. Planning ahead is always in fashion!

Convertible or sedan? Downtown or suburbs? Electric or manual toothbrush? As life decisions go, it’s certainly not choosing your next car, or deciding where you want to live. But, even when you are selecting a toothbrush, it helps to make a list of the pros and cons of the contenders before you make that final selection.

• Efficiency

The most important factor in choosing a toothbrush is finding out which model works best to eliminate bacteria and plaque. And studies have shown that, used properly, both electric and manual toothbrushes do a great job of removing plaque. Some electric models can reach the backs of teeth and the gumline more easily, some manual head designs work better for your individual mouth and teeth, so your particular needs should dictate which style of toothbrush you use. Talk to us about the best methods to brush with your preferred toothbrush, and we’ll let you know if one type of toothbrush or the other might work better for you.

• Health Considerations

Brushing too energetically can actually harm teeth and gums, causing sensitivity and damage to the enamel and gum tissue. An electric toothbrush should provide a continuous brushing motion without needing any pressure from the brusher. This might be the model for you if you have a too-vigorous approach to brushing, or sensitive teeth and gums.

An electric toothbrush can also be more efficient for older and younger brushers, those with limited mobility, and those with health conditions or injuries that make brushing with a regular toothbrush more difficult.

• Cost

An electric toothbrush is not a one-time investment. You should change the removable head as often as you change your manual toothbrush (every three to four months, please). But this cost is offset if an electric toothbrush is more efficient in removing your plaque, easier to use, or even if you just prefer it to manual brushing. If you find that you brush better and more often with an electric toothbrush, the added expense is well worth it.

Whichever brush you decide on, the most important part of the brush is the person holding it! A regular appointment with your toothbrush for two minutes of thorough brushing in the morning and two in the evening, daily flossing, and regular visits to our office for checkups and cleanings will keep your teeth healthy and strong no matter which toothbrush you choose.

Questions about your toothbrush choices? Don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Ron Shiver at our Valdosta office.

No one looks forward to dealing with a cracked or fractured tooth, but, fortunately, there are treatments available. Fractures take a variety of forms, from cosmetic annoyance to tooth-threatening, so if you suspect your tooth is injured, it’s important to see Dr. Ron Shiver right away.

If you have suffered any kind of serious fracture, we are uniquely equipped to help save your tooth. Endodontists have two or more years of advanced training after dental school, and we specialize in treating the inner tooth, which contains the blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue found in the pulp chamber and root canals. Endodontists save teeth that would otherwise be automatic candidates for extraction.

When should you call Dr. Ron Shiver? We identify five types of cracks and fractures, and your options will be different depending on which type of injury your tooth has suffered.

• Crazing fractures

These are the small, shallow cracks that appear over time in the exterior enamel. They are often a cosmetic concern more than a medical one, and usually require no treatment. If the cracks are very bothersome, whitening treatments or even veneers can take care of the problem. If there is any pain in the tooth, it is caused by something other than a surface crack in the outer enamel.

• Cusp fractures

When the cusp of a tooth has broken off, treatment will depend on the degree of damage. The chewing surface of the tooth can be treated by your dentist with a crown or even a filling, depending on the extent of the cusp loss. Cusp fractures rarely extend to the tooth’s pulp, but, if they do, a root canal will probably be necessary. This is a good time for an endodontic evaluation, because endodontists specialize in root canal procedures.

• Cracked Tooth

A crack which begins in the tooth crown and travels toward the root should be treated as soon as possible. If the damage has extended to the pulp, a root canal will be necessary, and a crown will protect the tooth from further damage and help prevent the crack from growing. If the crack is not caught in time and extends below the gumline and into the root, the prognosis for the tooth is much less favorable.

• Vertical Root Fracture

In this type of fracture, a crack begins in the root of the tooth and can gradually spread toward the crown. This is one of the more serious types of tooth fractures, because it can be difficult to detect and often has no immediate symptoms. By the time you feel pain, it might be because the bone and gum tissue surrounding the root have become infected. If the fracture is limited, endodontic surgery can sometimes save the tooth by removing the damaged root, but extraction is often necessary with more serious fractures.

• Split Tooth

This type of fracture goes all the way through the tooth, splitting it into two distinct segments. These sections cannot be put back together, but, depending on the type and location of the break, Dr. Ron Shiver may be able to save a portion of the tooth with endodontic surgery.

When you are treated for a broken bone, over time the bone will knit together. A crack in a tooth, however, does not heal. If you have suffered any kind of traumatic dental injury, it’s important to visit our Valdosta office as soon as possible. With proper treatment and restoration, even a tooth that has suffered a serious fracture might be saved.

Endodontists are specialists in treating the inner tooth, and perform root canal procedures every day. They have completed years of additional advanced studies after dental school to diagnose and treat both common root canal issues and more complicated endodontic problems. Calcified root canals are one such complication that make a visit to Dr. Ron Shiver the right choice for your professional care.

What’s involved in a typical root canal procedure?

After the area around the tooth is numbed, Dr. Ron Shiver will make an opening in the crown to allow access to the pulp inside. Very small instruments will be used to clean the inner tooth and remove dead or dying pulp tissue. The area inside of the tooth will be shaped, filled, and sealed, a process which can take one or more appointments. A temporary filling might be placed in the tooth to prevent bacteria and food from entering the site before a permanent seal is created. Dr. Ron Shiver can consult with you as to whether a crown or other restoration is best to protect your tooth after root canal treatment.

How do calcified roots develop?

Calcium is an essential mineral because it keeps our enamel strong, protecting the delicate pulp tissue inside the tooth. Sometimes, though, calcium deposits will partially or completely block a root canal. This build-up might occur in a canal as a response to injury or infection. It’s also a process that occurs naturally over time, and because of today’s advances in dental care, people are keeping their natural teeth much longer. This calcification can become a problem when you need a root canal procedure.

Why are calcified roots a problem?

It’s very important that we have access to every root, and to the entire length of every root, for the root canal procedure to succeed. If calcium deposits block all or part of a canal, even delicate instruments will have difficulty reaching all of the pulp tissue inside the canal. To make matters even more complicated, calcified roots can be hard to locate. Dealing with calcified canals requires experience and skill.

How can an endodontist help?

• Endodontists have sophisticated imaging technology and microscopes, which, together with their experience in the anatomy of the inner tooth, help them locate even difficult-to-detect roots and their branches.
• Endodontists have the skill and training to precisely and patiently clear the blocked roots.
• Specifically engineered endodontic instruments have been designed to clean and shape narrow, calcified canals.
• Finally, if the root canals are not treatable through the crown of the tooth, endodontic surgery can allow access to the canals that regular non-surgical methods cannot.

If you have calcified roots, making a root canal more difficult, schedule an appointment at our Valdosta office. We are experts in root canal procedures, whether common or complex, and experts in saving teeth.