I have been in a lot of dentist and endodontists' chairs and really get anxious about it. Dr. Mattscheck and her staff hit a home run with me. She was incredibly patient, made the whole experience pain-free, and most important of all, knows her craft. She explained my choices more clearly than I have ever heard, and helped me make decisions about treatment. This afternoon, I had two simultaneous root canals, and am very comfortable at home this evening. I have been to a lot of specialists, and she is the best. Thank you for your patience, your clarity, and most of all your skills and abilities in helping me.
John M
Hi Donna, Holly, and everyone else who helped me yesterday. Just wanted to thank you again for the TLC and excellent dental care and advice yesterday. I so appreciated Donna’s frankness. Your practice environment is extraordinary – warm and inviting –
it was like being cocooned in a whole lot of care and support!
Hope you all have happy holidays,
Linda P
Feels Like a Big Hug
Dear Dr. Barry and Staff,
Thank you for the wonderful care you gave me yesterday!
I have fears, I'm sure like others, and a root canal is not the most pleasant of things to have done
but Dr. Barry, you and Elisha took great care in making me feel welcome and comfortable.
And the experience in your office was top notch!
Even the littlest of details like padded bite wing x-rays was amazing, I wish all dentist used those.
I was very impressed with the technology of everything in your office from filling out forms online (very convenient!)
to the equipment, but the best was the people!
I have already told friends and family how if they need an endodontist, they should ask to be referred to you and be well taken care of!
I will ask my primary dentist to put you as my preference if I need any future endo care.
Sincere thanks,
Deb
Beaverton
Thanks
Dear Dr. Barry,
I have always been taken great care of by my primary dentist, Dr. X. When he retired, Dr. Y. took over as my primary, and he too has been excellent, and always makes me feel at ease. But when I was told that root canal work might be in my future, I became very nervous and uneasy, as I have always heard negative things about this process. After having it done in your office yesterday, I can say that my fears were unfounded, and that you sir, were excellent in your execution of my root canal procedure. Your staff was second to none.
When my tooth got much worse, prior to my scheduled visit, you were also good enough to get me in right away and take a look. Starting me on some medication that greatly diminished my suffering was most appreciated, and the next day you were also good enough to get me in early and take care of my pending event, the dreaded root canal work.
“Root canal is a beautiful event”, when it happens in your office. You not only have a modern office with a great view of Portland, your staff took care of me like I was their father. You just can not ask for more than that. In a profession that I’m sure always hears about it when it is not right, I thought you should hear about it when it is, and you sir are very right when it comes to taking care of your patients.
If you ever need a letter of referral you can certainly use to this one. I would be happy to speak to anyone of your patients and assure them of the no pain, no anxiety experience I had with you. It would be my pleasure.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I am relieved to know if I ever need this again, I will travel anywhere to have you and your staff take care of it. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am at your service.
Sincerely,
John G
Root Canal is a Beautiful Event
I was highly impressed with the office and will come back again (God forbid) if the rest of my teeth bite the dust. I am also recommending your office to all of my friends.
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My dental saga began when I was prepped for a crown at my dentist's office. My tooth became highly agitated and I was at the point where I would have pulled the tooth out myself with a pair of pliers. I needed a root canal immediately, and Dr. Barry's office agreed to squeeze me in before a long holiday weekend. I have worked in various medical settings in the past and was floored by the level of excellence within this tightly knit team. You know you are in the right place the minute you step through the door. Wendy is organized, efficient and genuinely cares about the well being of others. Elisha and Jessica are likewise caring individuals who are highly skilled at what they do. If I needed anything, they took care of it immediately (magazine, blanket, water, pain killers). And last but not least is Dr. Barry. I HATE having procedures done to my teeth, but I have to say that he and his staff made my root canal a pleasant experience. All of the materials used either smelled or tasted good. I could barely feel any of the injections (and because I take a long time to get numb...believe me, there were plenty of them). Dr. Barry is confident, highly competent, and has a great sense of humor. He and his team turned a really negative situation for me into a positive one. AND...they call you to check up on you after the procedure! The entire experience made me feel really well-cared for. These people are the best of the best, and I would not hesitate to come back again.
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Thanks again!!
Megan D
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What is an Endodontist , and what do they do?
Endodontists are dentists who specialize in maintaining teeth through endodontic therapy procedures, involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth, called the pulp. The word "endodontic" comes from "endo" meaning inside and "odont" meaning tooth. Like many medical terms, it's Greek. All dentists are trained in diagnosis and endodontic therapy. However, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat. That’s why you may have been referred to an endodontic specialist.
In addition to dental school, endodontists receive two or more years of advanced education in this kind of treatment. They study root canal techniques and procedures in greater depth, for diagnosis and treatment of more difficult cases. For this reason, many dentists choose to refer their patients to endodontists.
What Happens During Endodontic Treatment?
A local anesthetic will be given. A sheet of latex called the "rubber dam" (we've got nonlatex ones too) will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, hence keeping it clean and dry during treatment. The treatment consists of three or four basic steps, but the number of visits will depend on your particular case. Some treatments take 2 visits, but many are just a single visit.
In any case, it depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and degree of treatment difficulty. To me, it's more important to do it the very best we can rather than try to meet a specific time criteria. Let's look at the basic steps for nonsurgical endodontic therapy.
As with any medical procedure, success rate cannot be guaranteed. However, root canal therapy has a very high degree of success. Teeth which can be treated near ideal have a success rate up to ninety percent. We will discuss with you the chances of success before any endodontic procedure to help you make an informed decision. If a root canal or endodontic therapy is unsuccessful or fails you still have options.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Tooth Pain
Oral pain such as toothaches or cracked / fractured teeth can often be difficult to pinpoint. Because of the vast network of nerves in the mouth, the pain of a damaged or diseased tooth often is felt in another tooth and/or in the head, neck, or ear. An endodontist is a specialist in diagnosing and treating this type of pain.
Tooth Trauma
Pulp damage is sometimes caused by impact to the mouth, and the endodontist specializes in treating these traumatic injuries. For example, an injury to a child's permanent tooth that is not fully developed can cause the root to stop growing. A procedure called apexification stimulates bone to be deposited at the end of the root which makes it possible to then save the tooth through a root canal procedure. An endodontist is specially trained in procedures for replanting teeth that have been knocked out of their sockets.
Will I need to return to your office for additional visits?
Once endodontic therapy is completed your tooth should be examined periodically, usually every 6 - 12 months. This allows us to make sure the tooth has healed or is healing properly.
What if my tooth has already had a root canal?
Occasionally a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment fails to heal, or pain continues despite therapy. Although rare, sometimes a tooth initially responds to root canal therapy, but becomes painful or diseased months or years later. When either of these situations occur, the tooth often can be maintained with a second endodontic treatment.
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