What Sets Us Apart?

Endodontists are dentists who have completed a two year specialty residency and have earned their masters degree. Dr. Lee limits his practice to endodontics and microsurgery and performs an average of 20 root canals per week. Given Dr. Lee’s experience and training, he is able to diagnose and treat difficult cases such as narrow, or blocked canals or unusual anatomy like curved root structure. As a specialist, Dr. Lee utilizes a variety of techniques and technologies which allow him to diagnose and treat teeth more predictably. Below you will find information about some of the devices he uses during treatment.

EndoActivator

The EndoActivator uses safe, non-cutting polymer tips, in conjunction with the sonic energy of the hand piece driver to quickly and vigorously agitate the irrigants we use to disinfect the canals of your tooth during treatment. Activated fluids promote deep cleaning into hard to reach canals and branching of your roots that, otherwise,could be missed.Potentially, inflamed and infected tissue can be left behind compromising the success of the root canal and causingthe tooth to become re-infected. Evidence suggests that the use of the device and its disinfecting capabilities promotes the long-term success of root canal therapy.

The traditional method of irrigating and disinfecting canals is to simply soak the irrigants and rinse after a period of time. Consider a washing machine, soaking laundry provides sufficient cleaning however, the agitation and energy of a washing machine provides a superior clean, this is analogous to the EndoActivator.

Zeiss Omni Pico Microscope

Dr. Lee utilizes a microscope to perform all root canals and surgical procedures. The scope illuminates and magnifies an other wise dark and small area. The canals of your teeth can be as narrow as a strand of human hair. Without the microscope the tiny canals can be missed or cleaned improperly causing damaged tissue to remain and future failure of the procedure.

UltraSonic (US) Unit

The UltraSonic uses just the right amount of power and amplitude, along with a specially designed tip, which allows Dr. Lee to access the roots of your teeth conservatively, preserving valuable tooth structure. The US also assists with:

Treating calcified canals

When calcification occurs, the roots close upon themselves making treatment almost impossible which results in the extraction of the tooth. The US uses special tips and vibration which enables Dr. Lee to clean and shape calcified canals. This allows for the placement of our special filling material so that the tooth can be restored as usual.

Removing a broken instrument

Occasionally, a patient will come to us with a broken instrument in the canals of their teeth. With the help of the US, Dr. Lee is able to remove those instruments, disinfect and restore the tooth.

Locating extra canals

Upper molars sometimes have an accessory or “extra” canal called the MB2. This canal is hard to find and is often missed. As stated above, missed canals and tissue can lead to reinfection. With the help of the microscope and the UltraSonic, Dr. Lee is able to find and clean the MB2 with greater ease.

Post Removal

Once a post has been placed in your tooth it may be necessary to remove that post to perform a root canal. A post is meant to be permanent so removal may be difficult. The US uses vibration and special tips to remove the post safely and gently +-allowing for treatment of the canals.