Patient Education
Understanding Your
Endodontic Treatment
These videos — produced by the American Association of Endodontists — explain root canal treatment, specialist care, and common endodontic conditions in plain, easy-to-follow language.
Root Canal Treatment: A Step-by-Step Guide
A 3D animated walkthrough of every stage of root canal treatment — diagnosis, anesthesia, accessing the tooth, cleaning and shaping the canals, disinfecting them, and the final seal that protects the tooth. The video shows why a microscope-aided procedure is comfortable, predictable, and almost always faster than patients expect. Watch this before your appointment to know exactly what to expect.
Watch on YouTubeEndodontists: The Specialists in Saving Teeth
Endodontists complete two or more years of advanced training beyond dental school and focus exclusively on saving teeth. The video explains how their specialized techniques, surgical microscopes, and CBCT 3D imaging produce more reliable outcomes than a general-dentist root canal. It also covers what to ask when your dentist refers you to a specialist.
Watch on YouTubeRoot Canal Safety
Endodontists address common patient concerns about root canal safety. The much-quoted claim that root canals "cause disease" originates from a 1920s study that has been thoroughly disproven by modern research. Millions of root canals are performed safely every year — they relieve pain, preserve natural teeth, and are far healthier than extracting and replacing the tooth.
Watch on YouTubeUnderstanding Cracked Tooth Symptoms and Treatment
Cracked teeth are now the most common cause of tooth loss in adults — and one of the hardest problems to diagnose, because the pain comes and goes and rarely shows on a normal X-ray. The video explains the five recognized types of cracks, the symptoms (sharp pain when biting, lingering sensitivity to cold), and how a specialist uses a microscope and CBCT imaging to confirm the diagnosis. Catching a crack early is the difference between saving the tooth and losing it.
Watch on YouTubeHow CBCT 3D Imaging Helps Diagnose Tooth Pain
Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) gives endodontists a true 3D view of a tooth, its roots, and the surrounding bone — uncovering hidden canals, fractures, and infections that are invisible on traditional 2D X-rays. Radiation exposure from a focused CBCT scan is a small fraction of a medical CT and comparable to a few days of natural background radiation. Dr. Kung uses J. Morita CBCT imaging at our Sunnyvale office for diagnosis and treatment planning.
Watch on YouTubeTypes of Tooth Resorption
Resorption is the gradual loss of tooth structure caused by the body’s own cells dissolving the tooth from the inside or outside of the root. The video explains the three main types — internal resorption, external surface resorption, and external cervical resorption — what causes each, and which can be treated and which cannot. Early detection (often only visible on CBCT) is critical, so prompt referral to a specialist matters.
Watch on YouTubeRelated on this site
- Microscope vs. no microscopeHonest comparison of magnification levels and what they mean for outcomes.
- How CBCT changes diagnosisFive real scenarios where a 3D scan changes the treatment plan.
- A patient's journeyComposited case study from Sunday-evening pain to six-month healing recall.
- Will my root canal hurt?What modern root canals actually feel like, and why most patients say "that was it?"
- After your root canalStep-by-step guide to the first 48 hours of recovery.
- Root canal myths and factsPlain-language answers to the most common patient questions.
- Root resection & hemisectionWhen one bad root doesn't have to mean losing the whole tooth — a save-the-tooth surgical option.
- Vital pulp therapyWhen the living nerve can be saved with a bioceramic seal — the modern alternative to root canal in select cases.
- Antibiotics for a tooth infectionWhy pills alone won't cure an infected tooth, and what AAE/ADA actually recommend.
- Save the tooth or get an implant?Evidence-based decision aid with head-to-head survival data and lifetime cost comparison.
- Why we use a dental damThe AAE-mandated isolation that protects safety, sterility, and long-term outcome.
- Is a root canal safe?Evidence-based answer separating modern research from a 100-year-old focal-infection myth.
Have More Questions?
Dr. Kung is happy to answer any questions before your appointment. Call us or send a message — we respond the same day.
1565 Hollenbeck Avenue, Suite 106, Sunnyvale, CA 94087