About Duane E. Cox, DMD Expertise Endodontics, INSTI-DAMs, 3GEN Reamers, NiTi rotary files
Experience 33 years of clinical practice, last 17 years specializing in endodontics being a dental contractor and inventing dental products - INSTI-DAM, 3GEN Reamers, Fog Free Medical Face Mask, etc.
Organizations Academy of General Dentistry
Publications website = www.break-r-way.com
self published copyrighted book on endodontics being rewritten as written in 1995
Education/Credentials 1975 Graduate of Medical College of Georgia, School of Dentistry
Awards and Honors 3 U.S. Patents, etc. First year INSTI-DAM was marketed it placed in the category "TOP 10 Chairside Products", according to Dental Products Report.
Past/Present Clients ZIRC Company manufactures latex and latex free INSTI-DAMs since 1999 and has sold over one million of them. Small numbers of dentists have used my patented safety feature upgrade to rotary files making them absolutely and easily retrievable when separated. Co-presentor on course on endodontics when rotary NiTi files were first introduced to the dental profession. Developed some of the first software for dentists in 1984.
1. If an abscessed tooth is under control with antibiotics, and there is no longer pain because the pulp is dead, why is a root canal necessary?
2. If a molar with 2 roots has only one dead pulp, i.e, abscessed is only on 1 root and there is sensitivity because the other pulp is still good, would both pulp be removed when the root canal is performed? Why wouldn't we want to leave the good pulp alone?
3. If RCT is required when a tooth is abscessed, why would a dentist/specialist still want to do all the tests [hot/cold, bite down, tap-tap-tap, etc...] on an abscessed tooth? Why wouldn't he just say "You have an abscessed tooth, you need a root canal. Period."
Thank you.
Answer Hi Samantha,
Good questions, I will answer them in the order you asked them.
1. You can not just stay on antibiotics because of the side effects, such as yeast infections, diarrhea, negation of birth control in women, etc. When you are not on the antibiotics the infection could come back anytime. If the infection is severe enough and not draining well the pressure built up could cause severe pain and prevent the tooth from numbing up for dental treatment.
2. Both pulps would be removed as no patient wants to go through a root canal more than once. Also these teeth are frequently crowned and you would not want to have to destroy a new crown or make a big hole in it down the road for root canal treatment.
3. Some abscessed teeth do not have enough bone loss at the end of the root to be obvious. Also the dentist probably wants to check the adjacent teeth to make sure it is one tooth only serving as the source of all the problems.
