SMILE HAUS proudly provides endodontic treatments in West Hills, CA. Call 818-348-6068 to learn more or schedule your appointment.

Endodontics includes all dental procedures that focus on the dental pulp and root tissues. In many cases, endodontics can save a tooth that would otherwise be lost to damage or decay. At SMILE HAUS, we provide three main types of endodontic procedures.


Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)

Root Canal


Our primary goal is to save your natural teeth whenever possible. Endodontics, commonly referred to as root canal therapy, is the treatment of the pulp and surrounding tissues of a tooth. When root canal therapy is performed the pulp chamber of the tooth is removed and then filled with a suitable filling material. Root canals are most often necessary when decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or the tooth has become infected. People have anywhere from 1 to 4 canals in a tooth. Extra canals may branch out and are called “accessory canals.” The number of canals and anatomy of a tooth can vary. The word “endo” comes from the Greek language and means “inside” or within. Endodontists work with the “inside” of a tooth.

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Root Canal Retreatment


Although the success rate for root canals is approximately 95%, it is possible for one to fail, even years after the original procedure. The most common causes for root canal failure are new decay, a broken or loose crown, or a tooth fracture. Root canals that fail in the first few days or weeks are typically due to infection that was missed during the original procedure.

After numbing the tooth and surrounding tissues with local anesthetic, we will remove the crown, reopen the tooth, scrape out the gutta percha, and disassemble any restorative materials. We will then use a microscope to carefully examine the inside of the tooth, searching for unusual anatomy or additional infected canals. We will clean and seal the canals, place a new post if needed, and provide a temporary crown. You will return a few days later for your new customized crown.

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Apicoectomy


If a root canal retreatment fails, we may perform an apicoectomy to remove the tip of the root and replace it with a filling. After using a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and surrounding tissues, we will cut a small hole in your gum tissue to expose the tooth root. Using magnification and tiny precision instruments, we will remove the inflamed portion of the root, which is typically just a few millimeters in size. We will then place a filling and close your gums with sutures. Over the next several months, your jawbone will heal around the treated root.

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Call 818-348-6068 to learn more or schedule your appointment.