You may have noticed I haven't put up as much about things we did in the clinic - it's because now that I'm there everyday I don't think as much about getting pictures of things that come along.  Also it is because it seems like by the time I get patients seen and records written up - it's time to go.  So here are some cases I saw last week - part 2.

This patient had had a root canal done several years ago, but they began to experience pain and swelling around the tooth recently and the long-term outlook for the tooth was poor so we took it out.

Tooth is out.

However it didn't come out without giving a fight :)  It's not uncommon to have teeth that have had root canals come out in several pieces like this.

This Soldier had their crown break off, and this was all that was left.  I drilled into the tooth and some of the material the previous dentist had put in the root canal.

I used a paperclip to help extend the temporary crown down into the root canal since there wasn't a lot of tooth to help with retention.

I made a pattern (like an impression) of the inside of the root canal space, and gave it to the lab.  They made me a cast gold post and core that I cemented in.  The tooth now has much more retention to help the new crown stay on better.

The temporary crown in place.  Next visit we will re-trim the tooth and get a new impression so we can get him his permanent crown.