While in town visiting, the patient broke a tooth that had recently been filled back home. She was having pain and needed to be seen right away. The tooth was broken, fractured and endodontically involved, meaning there was decay into the nerve. Dr. Patel's diagnosis provided the patient with two different treatment options to either save the tooth with a root canal and crown, or extract it. She decided to save it. Dr. Patel excavated the tooth and removed all decay with the help of our Waterlase laser. The Waterlase was used to access decay below the gum line, as well as disinfect the area. Once the canals were cleaned out, they were filled with a material called "gutta percha" and then sealed off. A post was placed inside for stability and then the tooth structure was built up to support placement of a crown. Using our CEREC computer Dr. Patel took a digital scan of the tooth and a crown was made in our CEREC milling chamber the same day. Once cemented, any necessary adjustments were made to ensure a correct fit and bite.
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