Will my Endodontic therapy be painful?
Doctor Vettraino Bachstein will take every measure to ensure that your procedure is as comfortable and pain-free as possible. For nearly all endodontic treatments, the practicioner will gently inject local anesthetic to numb a concentrated section of your mouth. For highly inflamed or painful teeth or slightly more complicated procedures, additional anesthetic can become necessary. For most patients, the feeling of numbness subsides 2-4 hours after the anesthetics initial application.
Will I have pain after my Endodontic therapy?
A small amount of discomfort and soreness is normal and to be expected after most dental procedures. Dr. Melissa Vettraino Bachstein is well-trained and experienced in helping patients manage discomfort after endodontic therapy. In fact, most of our patients report a significant decrease in sensitivity and dental pain after a visit to our office!
While flare-ups after endodontic treatment occur in only ~ 5% of cases, patients could experience moderate to severe pain, swelling, throbbing or general discomfort. Flare ups are most common in teeth which were irritated and/or infected prior to endodontic treatment or after retreatments with abscesses. If you believe that you may be experienecing a flare up, please contact our office. During regular business hours please call the office at which you were initially treated. If it is an after-hours emergency, you will be connected with the on-call contact or answering service and your call will be returned in a timely fashion. You may be prescribed additional medication such as antibiotics and/or you may be asked to come to the office for a follow up or further endodontic treatment.
What do I need to do after my Endodontic treatment is completed?
Although it will vary from situation to situation, we typically recommend that our patients return to their General Dentist as soon as possible after endodontic therapy has been completed. Doctor Melissa Bachstein will have placed a temporary restoration on your tooth, but your General Dentist will need to place a more permanent restoration such as a core or full coverage crown to help prevent re-contamination and/or cracks or fractures. Our office will be sure to contact your General Dentist as soon as our treatment has concluded and convey any relevant radiographs, intraoral photographs and other pertinent information.
How many times do I need to return to Excel Endodontics?
Not all root canals, retreatments or apical microsurgeries can or should be completed in one office visit. Our endodontic practicioners will be sure to inform you how many appointments your individualized treatment plan will require prior to beginning therapy.
Once endodontic therapy is completed, your tooth should be examined periodically for 6 -12 months. Proper follow up allows Doctor Vettraino Bachstein to ensure your tooth has healed or is continuing to heal properly. For most root canal treatments, we recommend that patients return to the office 1 year after the procedure was finished. Occasionally, we will recommend a 2 year follow up for specific cases. Our office will send a reminder notice to you when you are due for a recall appointment.
Do the Center City and South Philadelphia offices offer the same services?
Yes! Our office Center City and South Philadelphia have the same staff, Doctors and provide the same range of high quality services.
If you begin treatment in our Center City office, but our South Philadelphia office is more convenient for return visits or recall, we are happy to accomodate. Our staff will be happy to assist you in booking appointments that fit into your busy schedule and location.