Birmingham VA’s pain-free, one-stop dental procedure

The Birmingham VA dental clinic recently implemented the GentleWave root canal treatment, a system promoting a pain-free and fast healing experience for Alabama Veterans.

Root canals are performed to repair and save a tooth when it is badly decayed, damaged or infected. Signs of a needed root canal can include toothaches, tooth sensitivity, tooth discoloration or swollen gums.

“GentleWave is a high-pressure irrigation system used in endodontics for root canal therapy,” said Dr. David Clanton, chief of endodontics. “It pressures up to 9,200 psi and is wired to a suction unit, creating a negative pressure at the same time. It eliminates all of the organic product inside of an infected root canal space.”

More Veterans served, less time required

For Birmingham VA dental patients, traditional root canals can require up to three separate dental appointments. A GentleWave procedure can typically be completed in one session.

“The implementation of GentleWave is win-win in my opinion. By reducing the time typically required to perform the root canal procedure, it allows us to not only treat more Veterans but allows us to give them back important personal time,” Clanton added.

“Our Veterans deserve nothing less than the best health care we can offer,”  said Dr. Jerry Hamlin, chief of dental services. “We’ve taken steps to incorporate technology that will not only improve the quality of patient care but also the level of comfort during their visit.”

Birmingham VA dentists perform 15 to 20 root canal procedures per week.

“This machine allows irrigation to get into the areas that conventional methods cannot,” Clanton said. “GentleWave is a much more effective than traditional root canal systems.”