AboutFrederick R. Liewehr DDS, MS, FICD Expertise I can answer your questions about root canal therapy in general. PLEASE DO NOT ask me to diagnose your particular problems or recommend treatment as I cannot do this without examining you and seeing your x-rays.
Experience I am a Board-certified endodontist, former university department Chairman, teach dental residents, and have a private practice.
Question Dear Dr L,
Is it common in your clinical experience for pts to decline root canal therapy and opt for extraction when the problem tooth is a front molar, and the pt still has their wisdom teeth and 2nd molar.
what are the major indications, let's say the top five, for root canal therapy. do you know of a website that has an endonic treatment algorithm.
thanks again........dax
Answer Not really, Dax; people who come to me, being an endodontis, have already made the decision to save their tooth. When I see it at the dental school, it is almost always a matter of finances, and that of course cannot be helped. Having a second and third molar do not help when you have a big space in front of them. The teeth do not move forward, although they will sometimes tip partially into the space, which means you get even more food trapped underneath. The decision is yours; your dentist should have already determined that your tooth was salvageable before he presented the idea to you. Sometimes teeth are so badly broken down that they are not worth saving, but hopefully this is not the case. There is some information for patients found at www.aae.org, our professional organization, that will tell you a bit more about endodontic therapy in general. Ultimately, however, it is up to you. Good luck.
