ASI’s endodontic air and water syringe is DCI style, and includes tubing and installation into ASI dental or endodontic delivery systems.

Safe delivery of compressed air is enabled and controlled by a precision regulator within the ASI delivery system. This adjustable regulator is preset, but it allows the doctor to vary pressures slightly.

The syringe has a safety maximum that will not allow high pressure to be used. A dial gauge provides a quick reference to verify the exact pressure. For additional control, add the Stropko irrigator adaptor.

General dentists serve as your first line of defense against oral health problems. Although general dentists provide primarily preventative care and minor restorative therapy, they often are able to perform a wide array of dental procedures, including cosmetic treatments.

Although general dentists typically forgo postgraduate dental specialist education programs, their training does not necessarily end with dental school. General dentists acquire additional dentistry education by attending lectures and participating in hands-on workshops provided by continuing education programs. Therefore, general dentists who opt to enter into practice rather than attend specialized postgraduate training programs may still gain an advanced dental education beyond that associated with DDS and DMD degrees.

General dentists who do not perform a given treatment will provide you with a specialist referral.

General Dentistry Restorative Procedures

During a dental examination your dentist will use instruments, tests, radiographs and clinical expertise to diagnose potential or existent disease states and pathologies. The general dentist’s primary focus is on the oral cavity, head and neck. An individualized plan is developed to prevent or treat disease states of the oral cavity. In the case of cosmetic dentistry, your general dentist will work with you to identify your esthetic goals.

• Dental Fillings: Dental fillings are used to repair damage to the structure of a tooth or teeth. Structural damage can be caused as a result of tooth decay, wear or trauma. After the removal of a problematic tooth structure, the tooth is restored with one of several filling materials: gold, amalgam, composite resin (white filling material) or porcelain. Each filling material has its advantages and disadvantages. Your dentist will work with you to determine which material is appropriate for you.
• Bonding: Bonding is the term used to describe the process of using composite resins to “glue” materials to the surface of a tooth for restorative purposes. Chipped or cracked teeth are typically repaired through bonding. An enamel-like composite material is applied to the surface of a tooth, sculpted into shape, contoured and polished, making the crack or chip invisible.
• Orthodontics: Misaligned teeth and malocclusions can be straightened and corrected with dental braces and retainers. Orthodontics is both a functional and cosmetic treatment, and has become an increasingly popular field of dentistry.
• Root Canals: Root canal therapy removes infected pulp tissue within the root chamber of the tooth. The hollowed-out tooth is filled with an antibacterial filling, and the tooth is “capped” with a crown for protection. Endodontists specialize in performing root canal therapy, though general dentists also often perform the restorative procedure.
• Dental Crowns: Dental crowns can repair extensively decayed or damaged teeth. Dental crowns can be made of gold metals, silver metals, porcelain or a combination of porcelain and metal. Some dentists use CAD/CAM technology for the fabrication of dental crowns. In some cases, conservative dental veneers may replace the need for a dental crown. General dentists, family dentists, prosthodontists, pediatric dentists and cosmetic dentists may perform the crown procedure; however, expertise varies among dentists.
• Dental Bridges: Dental bridges replace missing teeth with artificial replacements (pontic). The pontic is held in place by composite materials that are anchored to surrounding teeth. General dentists, family dentists, prosthodontists and cosmetic dentists may perform bridge procedures. Availability of the latest materials, technology and expertise varies among dentists.
• Dentures: Dentures are used to replace missing teeth or damaged teeth that cannot be otherwise repaired. General dentists, family dentists, prosthodontists, and cosmetic dentists may perform the procedure. However, availability of the latest material, technology and expertise varies among dentists.
• Oral and Maxillofacial Procedures: Oral and maxillofacial procedures range from the less invasive treatment of abnormalities of the mouth, jaw and face – including accompanying structures such as the teeth – to major oral surgeries. Dental implants, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) procedures, reconstructive surgery and cleft lip and palate procedures also fall under the oral and maxillofacial category.
• Periodontal (Gum Disease) Treatment: Early gum disease treatment may include tooth scaling and cleaning at three-month intervals along with use of medicated mouthwash and proper flossing. Later-stage gum disease treatment may include deep-plane scaling, periodontal surgery and laser surgery. General dentists, family dentists, periodontists and cosmetic dentists may perform gum disease treatment. However, availability of the latest material, technology and the level of expertise varies among dentists.
• Laser Procedures: In some cases, laser dentistry can replace the need to drill teeth or to use other, more invasive dental equipment. Dental lasers can be used during a bonding procedure and to remove tooth decay, replace scaling, perform periodontal surgery, enhance tooth whitening and treat some forms of sleep apnea. General dentists, family dentists, periodontists and cosmetic dentists may perform laser dentistry. Availability of the latest technology varies among dentists.

Special treatment considerations are made for infants, young children, adolescents, people with special needs and the elderly.

In the past, if you had a damaged or diseased tooth, it usually was pulled. But today, injured or diseased teeth often can be saved with endodontic therapy, also known as root canal treatment.

Endodontics is a specialized type of dentistry that deals with abnormal tooth pulp; the causes/origins, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries to the pulp; and other conditions affecting the tissues surrounding the pulp and canal (channel inside the tooth root). Tooth pulp, the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissues, runs through the hard tissue inside the tooth (dentin) and extends from the crown (top) of the tooth down to the tip of the root in the jaw bone.

Endodontic Procedures

Endodontic procedures are used in the diagnosis and treatment of oral pain involving the pulp and periradicular area (just outside or around the root of the tooth origin). Pulp therapy, such as pulpotomy, is a common endodontic procedure in which dental pulp is removed from the pulp chamber. The nonsurgical treatment of root canals, especially in difficult cases such as teeth with blocked, narrow or unusually positioned canals, also is a major part of endodontic therapy.

Endodontic treatment may also be required for surgical removal of diseased or abnormal (pathologic) tissues, repair procedures associated with the surgical removal of pathologic tissues, repair of cracked teeth or the replacement (replantation) of teeth knocked out (avulsed) by injury.

Additional endodontic procedures include:

• Surgical removal of tooth structure, such as an apicoectomy, or root-end resection (the removal of the root tip and the surrounding infected tissue of an abscessed tooth), hemisection (the process of cutting a tooth with two roots in half) and bicuspidization (procedure to change tricuspid valve into a functioning bicuspid valve)
• Root-end filling
• Endodontic implants, which extend through the root canal into the periapical bone structure (tip or apex of the root of a tooth), whereas other types of tooth implants are anchored directly in the gums or jawbones
• Bleaching of dentin and enamel
• Retreatment of teeth previously treated endodontically
• Placement of posts and/or cores to save and strengthen teeth

The Cost of Endodontic Treatment

Depending on your situation, your dentist or endodontist may perform any one or combination of procedures to treat your condition. The cost for endodontic therapy typically averages $600 to $900. The cost for a therapeutic pulpotomy (excluding final restoration) is approximately $150, and the cost for apicoectomy/periradicular surgery ranges from $550 to $700.

Signs and Symptoms of Endodontic Problems

You may need endodontic treatment if you experience the following:

• Significant tooth discomfort or pain
• Prolonged tooth sensitivity to hot and cold
• Gum tenderness to the touch and when chewing
• Swelling
• Tooth discoloration
• Drainage and tenderness in the lymph nodes, jaw bone and gingival tissues

If a root canal procedure is not performed, an abscess (infected pus pocket) can form at the tip of the tooth root that can be painful. Even if there is no pain, the bone holding the tooth in the jaw can be damaged.

When is Endodontic Treatment Appropriate?

Endodontic treatment is necessary when the dental pulp becomes inflamed or infected as a result of deep tooth decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth or a crack, chip or other injury to the tooth. Most teeth can be saved by endodontic treatment.

Tooth extraction is not necessary unless:

• Roots are severely fractured
• The tooth does not have adequate bone support
• The tooth cannot be restored
• Root canals are not accessible

Who and What is Involved with Root Canal Treatment?

A general dentist can perform root canal treatment, but it is most often provided by an endodontist, who specializes in pulp problems.

The endodontist removes the inflamed/infected pulp, cleans and shapes the inside of the canal and fills and seals the space. Afterwards, the endodontist usually will refer you back to your dentist for placement of a crown or other restoration on the tooth to protect it. The restored tooth will have a natural appearance and continue to function like other healthy teeth. With proper oral care, it may last a lifetime.

The cost of endodontic treatment varies depending on the complexity of the condition and which tooth is affected. Most dental insurance plans provide some coverage for endodontic treatment.

Endodontic treatment and restoration generally are less costly than the alternative: tooth extraction and replacement with an implant and dental crown.