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.
Expert: Duane E. Cox, DMD Date: 7/4/2008 Subject: second apico?
Question Dear Dr. Cox,
I am 29 years old. About 16 years ago, I had a root canal on tooth #8, and an apicoectomy ten years ago when that root canal failed. i also had a root canal attempted on tooth #7, but because the tooth had calcified, the endodontist could not complete the root canal therapy. Now it looks as if I have a new infection over both teeth (#7 and #8), and my new endodontist wants to try to redo root canals on both teeth. if that takes care of it, that will be the end, otherwise he says he will do an apicoectomy over both teeth.
I had heard on this board that once a root canal fails and an apicoectomy fails, chances of success are very low. I would really like to try to save these teeth if possible (they were damaged in an accident), but I don't want to be foolishly optimistic, or to do anything that might further damage my teeth.
any advice (or perspective) would be much appreciated. Are there any specific questions I can ask the endodontist that might help me make the decision? The endodontist seems confident he can do the root canal on tooth #7 (although, so was the last one who attempted it), and also seems optimistic that retreating #8 could take care of the problem, and that another apico is possible.
please let me know, and thanks!
cathy
Answer Hi Cathy,
As the success rates drop, it really gets into a judgement call. If you retreat these teeth and they fail you are out of pocket a lot of money and have needlessly gone through pain and suffering.
Ask the endodontist "eyeball to eyeball" what his success rates are for cases like this and what kind of guarantee he is willing to give in case they fail. Base your decision on his response.
