Dr. Enrico DiVito is a general and cosmetic dentist who specializes in laser dentistry at the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry in North Scottsdale. A graduate of Arizona State University and the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, Dr. DiVito returned to Arizona and established a private practice in 1980. He founded the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry in 2007. In this article, Dr. DiVito tells us what it is like to recover from a root canal procedure.
When a patient has major tooth decay and damage, it is common that we recommend that he come back into the office for a root canal therapy procedure. Although this can be intimidating for a lot of people, who may be worried about pain or a long recovery period, the procedure itself usually is not nearly as scary as patients think it will be.
One of the ways that we at the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry are making this better for our patients is by using laser treatments in our root canal therapy procedures. Whereas in the past, many root canal cases used to take up to two or three appointments to fully complete, that is no longer the case. With the use of lasers, we are now able to get patients their results in just one appointment. So this is a major advancement over typical general dentistry.
The laser therapy options that we have here minimize the overall invasiveness of the root canal procedure, which a lot of patients appreciate. These lasers also decrease the potential for future failure or infection. So when you are talking about recovery, that is a major benefit to a lot of people. Coming in for follow-up appointments and those types of things used to be a major issue for people, and that is no longer the case thanks to our use of lasers.
When we are talking about recovery time from a root canal therapy procedure, there is another way lasers benefit patients as well. Because we use the laser, we are getting biostimulation going in the mouth. What that term really means is that the laser is helping the body heal quicker and with less inflammation. Experiencing less oral inflammation, meanwhile, means less pain for patients during the recovery process. And because the body is healing quicker, that means less downtime, as well.
Of course, not all dentists are using laser dentistry yet. So, if a patient is interested in having these laser procedures done, which will speed up the recovery process and create less cause for downtime, then I would definitely recommend that the patient seek out a dentist who specialize in laser dentistry, as we do here at the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
