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You might remember that famous grade school dental poster teaching you all about teeth. A large white tooth with a crown, two roots with a bit of a curve, and two perfectly matched root canals inside each root. And, often, a big smiling face on the happy enamel surface—and why not? That tooth is a simple, symmetrical marvel!

But, unfortunately, those grade school posters aren’t exactly the last word in dental anatomy. Real molars might have multiple root canals in each root. The root canals might be curved in odd ways. They might have tiny branches that lead out from the main canal. They might have tiny branches that lead out from the main canal that are curved in odd ways. It can get very complicated.

This complexity is why an endodontist, like Dr. Ron Shiver, has spent two or more additional years of advanced training after dental school studying the diagnosis and treatment of the inner tooth. And when a root problem puts your tooth in danger of extraction, an endodontist is a specialist in saving at-risk teeth. What can Dr. Ron Shiver do for a troublesome root?

• Root Canal

Endodontists are specialists in root canal treatments. We have the education, experience, and tools to find, clean, shape, and fill complex root canal formations and tiny root canal branches.

• Surgical Root Canal Treatment

When a regular root canal isn’t possible, we can still reach the root canals by approaching them surgically through the root rather than the crown.

• Apicoectomy

For a tooth that has recurring problems even after a root canal, an apicoectomy (the removal of the root tip) and the cleaning and sealing of the affected root might be recommended.

• Root Resection, Hemisection, and Bicuspidization (Bisection)

For molars with serious decay, fractures, infection, or surrounding bone loss, Dr. Ron Shiver might suggest a surgical procedure which removes a single root (root resection), part of the tooth and root (hemisection) or divides the tooth and roots into two pieces (bicuspidization). These surgeries allow you to preserve as much of your natural molar as possible.

If a root problem is causing you pain, give our Valdosta office a call. Because an endodontist is a specialist in saving teeth—and you deserve a poster-perfect smile!

The dog days of summer are upon us, and what better time for Dr. Ron Shiver and our team to ask our patients about their summer!

Whether you visited our nation’s capital, went on a camping trip, or just stayed in Valdosta and relaxed, we want to know how you’re all spending your summer! Please feel free to share your summer plans and experiences with us below or on our Facebook page as summer rolls on!

Happy Independence Day from Dr. Ron Shiver and team! The Fourth of July celebrations in America may have changed a lot over the years, but there is no doubt that we Americans love to celebrate the anniversary of our country's independence! Today we're devoting the Ron L. Shiver DMD Family & Restorative Dentistry blog to some fun facts about the Fourth!

• My, how we have grown! This year the United States Census Bureau estimates that our country has 313.9 million residents celebrating the Fourth of July this year, but back in 1776 there were just 2.5 million members of the country.
• Our country loves to show how proud that we are of our independence. Did you know that there are 31 United States places with the word “Liberty” in their names? The state of Iowa actually has four towns with the word Liberty in the name: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty, and West Liberty.
• The United States loves Fourth of July food! It is expected that around 150 million hot dogs are eaten on the Fourth each year. One of the Fourth's most popular sides, potato salad, goes just perfectly with the hotdogs and hamburgers that are standard Fourth of July fare. Some people choose potato chips instead, but we wouldn't have such a plethora of potatoes if not for the prodigious production of the states of Idaho and Washington -- they provide about half of all the potatoes in the United States today!
• Americans love celebrating the Fourth outdoors: About 74 million Americans fire up their BBQ grill every Fourth of July.
• The Chinese contribution: Did you know that Americans have spent more than $211 million on fireworks that were imported from China?

No matter how your family chooses to celebrate the Fourth, stay safe, take precautions, and don't forget to brush after your fabulous Fourth feast!

Our molars work hard to crush, grind, and chew our food. They withstand over 100 pounds of pressure per square inch when chewing—and let’s not even discuss stress clenching and grinding! Not surprising, then, that they are our largest and strongest teeth, anchored by multiple roots.

How does this biology work in our favor? Sometimes a tooth suffers decay or damage in the root, or in the bony area surrounding it. When a tooth has only one root, options can be fairly limited. But when a tooth has multiple roots, an endodontist might be able to save your molar with a surgical procedure called a “root resection.”

If the root is too damaged to be repaired by procedures such as a filling, a root canal, or an apicoectomy (removal of the root tip), Dr. Ron Shiver can remove the damaged or infected root entirely. This resection procedure can save a tooth that might otherwise need to be extracted.

What conditions lead your endodontist to recommend a root resection?

• Decay: If serious decay is confined to a single root, a resection might be a good option.
• Damage to the root: A broken root, or one that has suffered a serious fracture or other injury that doesn’t extend too far into the tooth, can be removed to save the healthy part of the tooth.
• Recurring infection: If you have already undergone a root canal for a pulp infection, but the infection keeps reappearing in one root, root removal might be indicated.
• Bone loss caused by gum disease: When periodontitis isn’t promptly treated, the result can be a serious loss of bone around one root. A root resection can facilitate healing in the bone around the tooth, and save the tooth from extraction or loss.

Can all teeth benefit from a root resection?

The maxillary molars, located in the upper jaw, are often the best candidates for a root resection because they generally have three roots, but other multi-rooted teeth might also be considered for root resection treatment. Your endodontist will be able to tell you if the root structure and the overall condition of your molar make root resection an option for saving your tooth.

What’s involved in a root resection?

Because this surgery will necessarily involve the dental pulp, a root canal will be performed before the procedure to remove the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue inside the tooth. During the root resection, a small incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the roots. The affected root is then sectioned off and removed. The area is carefully cleaned, and the incision closed with a few stiches. Dr. Ron Shiver will give you instructions for post-surgery care, and most likely a permanent crown will be needed to protect the remaining tooth structure.

Roots serve to anchor our teeth, but they aren’t indestructible. On the other hand, an injured or diseased root doesn’t necessarily mean an extraction is necessary or inevitable. If you have a problem in or near a molar root, an endodontic consultation at our Valdosta office just might leave you smiling.