Dr. Shih and his staff are amazing! I was referred here by my dentist, Dr. Michael Maher (who has been my dentist for over 25 years). When I called my dentist and explained the situation they immediately booked me into an 8 a.m. slot with Dr. Shih for the next day. I was in such pain that it was difficult for me to tell which tooth was actually infected.
Dr. Shih did some simple tests and confirmed that my #15 tooth was indeed on it's last nerve - so to speak. He explained the procedure and gave me shots to numb the pain before commencing. His dental hygenist and office staff were kind, comforting, and very sweet. It took him only one hour to complete the work and told me intermittently what he was doing in my mouth. I found that a comfort.
Unfortunately I was in such pain the next day that I followed up with Wendy, his receptionist and public relations person extraordinaire. They wanted me back in immediately because I was still having sensitivity but on #14. I asked to wait it out a day because I know the clamps could be hard on the gums and it is a small, but extensive, procedure. She accommodated and they offered to call in some medication to help with swelling/pain.
Sure enough I phoned late in the afternoon to say I knew I needed another root canal and, bless their heart, they got me in at 9:00 today. Dr. Shih explained something called the "Gate Theory" which relates to nerve pain. Apparently the body cannot process all sources of pain when it is that intense and so the one that is the worst will take over, so to speak, until that source is eradicated. Then, the other pain will surface in the location that is also infected. That is why we could not tell both teeth required root canals. Plus, conservatively and wisely, he did not want to perform an unnecessary procedure on a second tooth. He fixed me up again this morning and sent me on my way.
There is no kind of pain like tooth pain and an infected or dead tooth. Dr. Shih was kind, skilled, and swift with assisting me and I really appreciated how comforting his staff was with me. I will not be going anywhere else if I need another root canal.
Although root canals are expensive without insurance, it is something that must be done. They offered a payment plan or a slight reduction for full payment at time of service. I appreciated the candor and wanted to make sure I got it taken care of, and him paid, ASAP, because he and his staff earned it.
Thanks Dr. Shih and staff! I will be back to check on everyone's lash extensions! read more
