About Us

When you're being cared for by a highly trained and experienced root canal specialist, you can rest assured that you're in the best of hands. The endodontists at Advanced Endodontic Care have the credentials that inspire confidence. For starters, all have completed an additional two years of advanced postdoctoral training in endodontics from renowned dental universities and institutions in the United States. In addition, each of our endodontists practiced general dentistry prior to becoming root canal specialists. Having diagnosed, treated and managed the full spectrum of dental conditions, they fully understand the relationship between endodontic treatment and future restorative and cosmetic procedures. What's more, our endodontists complete many hours of continuing education each year to remain on the cutting-edge of endodontic therapy and they are active members of several prestigious dental organizations, including the American Association of Endodontists.

At Advanced Endodontic Care, we pride ourselves on pampering our patients. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is dedicated to your total comfort and satisfaction. Inside our modern, warmly appointed office, you will enjoy a variety of patient-first amenities, starting with fresh-baked cookies, freshly brewed coffee and bottled water. Our spacious waiting room resembles a living room. It features a fireplace, couch and bookcase with a nice selection of books. We also have a variety of current magazines for you to read. We designed each of our treatment rooms with a different theme from around the world, complete with stunning photographs and colors. Some of the themes include the rainforest, an African safari and exploring the undersea world. You can watch your favorite movie during your treatment with movie eyeglasses, or you can listen to music on stereo headphones while admiring the view of Badger Canyon and the Horse Heaven Hills through our large picture windows. Pillows and blankets are also available to keep you comfortable.

When you come in for your initial appointment at Advanced Endodontic Care, we will review your referral form (if you were referred by your general dentist) and your health history. One of our endodontists will then conduct an examination and look at the results of your digital X-rays. These use up to 95% less radiation than traditional X-rays, making them the obvious choice for safety. Next, your treatment options will be explained in simple, easy-to-understand language.

At Advanced Endodontic Care, we provide today's state-of-the-art endodontic procedures to help preserve teeth that have an infected or inflamed pulp. Causes of infection or inflammation include trauma, deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth or a crack or chip in the tooth. If left untreated, these can cause pain or lead to tooth abscess or tooth loss.

We are equipped with the most state-of-the-art technological advances, including electronic apex locators,  diamond-coated ultrasonic equipment, nickel-titanium files and biocompatible materials and sealants.  We use a dental operating microscope to locate hard-to-find canals, which when left untreated, can lead to pain and treatment failure. At Advanced Endodontic Care, we also use the EndoActivator® system, which achieves exceptional clinical results while at the same time promoting deep cleaning and disinfection of tooth canals.

Root canal therapy This procedure is performed to save a tooth by removing the damaged pulp (blood/nerve) that has become irreversibly damaged or infected due to a deep decay, a crack or chip in the tooth, tooth trauma/injury or repeated procedures on the tooth. After the pulp is removed and the infection has been resolved, the canal is filled with a biocompatible material called gutta-percha and a temporary filling is placed. You will then return to your family dentist to have a permanent tooth restoration (filling, onlay or crown) placed. Our endodontists can perform most root canals in a single visit; the more difficult cases might require a second appointment. Finally, we will send a written report with images to your referring dentist within 48 hours.

Root canal retreatment In some cases, a tooth that has undergone root canal therapy could become painful or diseased months or even years later. For these cases, we perform root canal retreatment.

Apicoectomy Also known as apical surgery, this procedure is performed when a tooth does not respond to root canal therapy or retreatment. With apicoectomy, our endodontists enter through the bottom of the end of the root and gently remove the root tip and the surrounding root tissue. The area is then sterilized and sealed to prevent reinfection.

Apexification This is the treatment of a traumatized or immature tooth to produce more favorable conditions for root canal therapy. With this procedure, the unhealthy pulp is removed and either mineral trioxide paste (MTA) or a collagen-based material called CollaCote® is placed into the root. This forms hard tissue at the root tip, providing a barrier for the root canal filling.

Other procedures Our endodontists treat resorption (loss of bone, cementum and/or dentin) and trauma such as tooth ache, toothache, tooth fractures or avulsion (“knocked-out” tooth). We also perform intracoronal whitening. This special whitening technique can improve the brightness of nonvital teeth that are discolored due to inflamed pulp tissue or from staining agents that are present in the pulp chamber.

For more information about our emergency dental care or to set your preferred appointment, call our office today in Kennewick at 509-735-9735 or in Walla Walla at 509-593-4697!