Does Your Tooth Still Hurt After a Root Canal?

If you’re still experiencing pain after a root canal, you may be wondering why. Aren’t root canals meant to take your pain away? There are many reasons why your tooth may still be hurting. It is possible that the base of your tooth root (periapical) is still slightly tender or that your pain is caused by a temporary filling that is a bit too high. In these cases, taking OTC painkillers, preferably ibuprofen, may be all you need to alleviate your pain while your root canal heals.

However, if you’ve had a root canal at our practice in Easton, PA and are still experiencing pain that is severe or persistent, you should call our office immediately. The dentist may need to prescribe you an antibiotic to make sure the infection does not remain, or she may need to perform retreatment.

At your follow-up appointment, Dr. Alan Dilsaver will want to know what type of pain you are experiencing. Is your tooth sensitive to hot and cold? Is it the tooth root that is sensitive or the gums that are over the tooth? Is it a constant ache, or does it only hurt when biting? Is there any swelling, drainage or pus? The answers to these questions will give Dr. Dilsaver the information he needs to diagnose your pain.

Root canals don’t always work, and there are many reasons for this, including fractures of the root, convoluted or twisted root structures and failure to protect the root canal after the procedure. If this occurs, you may need further treatment. If the root canal was successful, it should feel normal most of the time.

To schedule an appointment at Lehigh Valley Smiles, call (610) 252-7414. For more information, please visit www.lehighvalleysmiles.net.   

Wisdom Teeth Extractions in Easton, PA

Your third and final molars to emerge are your wisdom teeth, which usually come in when you are between 17 and 25 years old. While many people do not experience problems with these new teeth, many others find that theirs must be removed. If your mouth does not have enough room for these molars to come in, a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and at our office in Easton, PA, Dr. Alan Dilsaver can determine whether a wisdom tooth extraction is the best course of action for you.

Wisdom teeth are usually removed because they become impacted, which means that the tooth does not have enough room to come in straight through the gums and instead emerges at an angle. This can cause pain, damage to the jaw and a more crooked smile. Additionally, the site of impaction can become a bacterial hotspot since impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean.

Wisdom teeth extractions can range from removing a single tooth to removing all four teeth at once. Dr. Dilsaver will let you know what he thinks is best for you. For the procedure, he will use either a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate you while the teeth are extracted. The tooth will then be accessed through an incision in the gums and wiggled until it is loose enough to be lifted out. If the tooth is too deeply embedded to be removed this way, it will be broken up into pieces before being removed.

Whether you are already feeling pain due to impacted wisdom teeth or have not yet felt them come in, we can determine if your wisdom teeth will cause problems for you. To schedule an appointment at Lehigh Valley Smiles, call (610) 252-7414. For more information, visit www.lehighvalleysmiles.com.

Root Canals from Dr. Alan Dilsaver

If the root of your tooth becomes infected, it is important to first try and save the tooth rather than extracting it and replacing it with an artificial restoration. This is because restorations, such as implants or bridges, are both expensive and not as beneficial to your oral health as having your own root supporting your tooth.  To avoid extracting a tooth, Dr. Alan Dilsaver performs root canal procedures, which can effectively save your tooth and relieve your pain in Easton, PA.

Root canals can be performed with new 3D technology and rotary instruments that provide improved quality and efficiency and less pain. During the procedure, Dr. Dilsaver will remove the infection by first applying a local anesthetic to the area and then creating an opening in the canal. With his rotary instruments, he is able to remove the infected tissue and clean the area before filling the canal with a sealant to protect from further infection. Teeth that have root canals performed on them also usually require a crown to protect it from fractures, as well as improve the appearance and strength of the tooth. Once the procedure is complete and any soreness subsides, you will be able to eat without pain and sensitivity.

If you’re in pain, you can stop you’re suffering by scheduling an appointment with Lehigh Valley Smiles. Call (610) 252-7414. For more information, please visit www.lehighvalleysmiles.net.

Extractions in Easton, PA

If decay has reached too deeply into one of your teeth or if an infection has damaged too much of the supporting bone or tissue, you will need a tooth extraction, and at Lehigh Valley Smiles, Dr. Alan Dilsaver can perform one to help you restore your oral health in Easton, PA.  

Before the procedure is performed, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area around the extraction site. If it is a simple extraction, the tooth will be loosened with an elevator and then extracted with forceps. Dr. Dilsaver may choose to smooth and contour the underlying bone afterward, and once he is finished, he will suture the gums.

After the extraction, it is critical to keep the area clean to prevent infection. A dry, sterile gauze will be placed over the gums to limit bleeding. You must make sure to keep it in place for 30 to 45 minutes while the blood clots. During the 24 hours after the procedure, you should not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously or clean the teeth immediately adjacent to the extraction site. Strenuous activity, hot liquids and straw drinking should also be avoided. A certain amount of pain and discomfort accompanies an extraction, so a painkiller may be prescribed.

If you are suffering pain from decay, infection or impaction, the dentist can determine if a tooth extraction is required to save your smile. Schedule an appointment at our practice in by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information, visit www.lehighvalleysmiles.net.

Do You Need Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Wisdom teeth are your last set of molars to come in and usually emerge when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Since wisdom teeth can often become impacted, which means they come in at an angle rather than straight through the gums, it is often necessary to remove them before they cause pain or begin to push on your other teeth. Dr. Alan Dilsaver commonly performs wisdom teeth extractions at Lehigh Valley Smiles in Easton, PA.

If a wisdom tooth is impacted and can only emerge partially, it is possible for an operculum to form over the tooth. Once this flap of skin forms, the tooth will be hard to clean and can become infected. This infection is called pericoronitis.

When a wisdom tooth is in danger of causing such problems, Dr. Dilsaver will extract the tooth. Many times all four are removed at once. This is done either by using a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate the patient. It depends on the preference of the doctor and patient, as well as how far the wisdom tooth has emerged. After an anesthetic is applied, the gum tissue around the wisdom tooth is cut and the tooth is loosened and pulled out. If necessary, the gums will be sutured.

After the surgery, rest is required, and you will need to change the gauze applied to the incision every couple hours. To see if your wisdom teeth may need to be removed, schedule an appointment with us in Easton, PA by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information, visit www.LehighValleySmiles.net.

Crowns

Crowns are used to protect and strengthen teeth that have become extremely weak, decayed or fractured. Covering your affected tooth and restoring it to its original shape and size, dental crowns (sometimes called caps) can help reduce pain, save your tooth from needing to be extracted and keep your smile beautiful and functional. At Lehigh Valley Smiles, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your smile.


Over time, as your teeth begin to weaken, they become more susceptible to problems, including decay, cracks and discoloration. Crowns are usually only necessary if decay has reached the point where the tooth structure is compromised. When a crown is installed, the decay is removed from the tooth and a core build-up is used to insulate the nerve and create a surface to bond the crown to. An impression is then made of this surface so that crown can be custom fitted. Usually made of porcelain, gold or porcelain fused to metal, after the crown is fabricated, it is cemented onto the current tooth. This fabrication process can take between two to three weeks.


Crowns are made incredibly strong to protect the remaining tooth structure, and the custom fit ensures that the seam between tooth and crown is minuscule, which helps protect the tooth from further decay.


If you’re experiencing decay and pain in one of your teeth, stop by our office to see if a crown can save your smile. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Alan Dilsaver by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information www.LehighValleySmiles.net.

Rotary Endodontics

If you’ve had a root canal performed to save an infected tooth, it probably didn’t occur to you to ask what type of tools your dentist was using. However, if your dentist used the old, manual method of removing infection, the procedure may have been nerve racking. That’s why here, at Lehigh Valley Smiles, Dr. Alan Dilsaver uses rotary endodontics technology for root canals.


Proving a smoother, more comfortable experience during root canals, rotary endodontics technology allows Dr. Dilsaver to remove the infected pulp in the inner root canal more quickly, more smoothly and with less chance of complications. Rotary endodontics utilizes electric instruments, rather than the traditional, stainless steel files. The electric hand tool is made of nickel titanium and is much more flexible than stainless steel, which means that it can be inserted into the curved root canal without damaging the passageway.


We prefer to use rotary endodontics at our practice because it is smoother, more consistent and quicker than the traditional method. In addition, the tools are much quieter, without the grinding noise that other tools produce, which will help to put you at ease during the procedure. This is why both our patients and we prefer this technology. While the manual method works adequately at saving teeth during root canals, rotary endodontics tools are much less scary and easier to use.


Schedule an appointment with us by calling (610) 252-7414. For more information visit www.LehighValleySmiles.net.