Dr. Sonia Chopra

Would YOU extract this tooth? Most people definitely would! But you know me… if there's a tooth in trouble, I'm always going to try my best to save it. 💪🏽 Whether you agree with me or think I'm totally bonkers doesn't really matter… because those 👏🏽 results 👏🏽 don't 👏🏽 lie. Take a look at the one-year recall (Image 3). The bone was already starting to heal! But the real showstopper was at the ten-year recall (Image 4)… That tooth is going STRONG, my friends! You, too, can be the kind of dentist who gives teeth a chance. The key is to simply believe that you can. 💜 And you know what can help you build that self-trust? Investing in your endo training with E-School with Coaching! My award-winning online endodontic CE course for dentists is opening for enrollment soon, so now is the perfect time to enhance your skills, boost your confidence, and improve your outcomes! Head to https://lnkd.in/g2Eazw-u / the link in my bio to learn more.

You know I LOVE me some radiographs and cone beam images. 😏 In fact, having both at my disposal is non-negotiable. But sometimes, even this dynamic duo doesn't show the whole picture… 😮 as was the case for this patient here. According to the x-ray, it SEEMED like the previous root canal had been done well, though you can never be sure without a full history. Looking at the cone beam, although some providers would've called it a vertical root fracture and jumped to extraction, I just couldn't be certain based on the imaging alone. So where did that leave me? 🤔 Well… sometimes you just have to go inside and take a look! Find out what happened when I accessed the tooth and how I proceeded with treatment by checking out the full blog at https://lnkd.in/eD6Xdfs5 You'll never guess what I saw! 🤯 P.S. E-School with Coaching enrollment will be opening soon… So if you want to develop the level of confidence and wisdom that can lead you to the right diagnosis — no matter the scenario — head to https://lnkd.in/g2Eazw-u to learn more!

Diagnosis is the first and most important step in any case. It ensures you recommend the proper treatment to your patients and therefore helps you provide the best possible care! Here are the five steps I follow to make an accurate diagnosis every time: #endodontics #endodonticdiagnosis #endorocks #endodontist

Need CE? Then you're going to like September. 😏 This month is jam-packed with opportunities to earn CE, starting with my courses at the 2024 ODA Annual Session. I'll be giving two different lectures: 🦷 The first is an online session on technology's powerful role in the modern-day root canal. I'll be covering the different types of technology available to us, how they all work together to save teeth, and the ways in which they've served my own patients. Since it's a virtual lecture, you can attend online and earn CE right from your own home! 🪞 The second is an in-person session on the impact of self-awareness on your path to success and happiness. We'll discuss the importance of a vision for personal and business growth, how masculine and feminine energies co-exist within us, and some tools to better get to know yourself. You can learn more about my courses, check out the other incredible speakers, and register for the 2024 ODA Annual Session at https://lnkd.in/gQCHR-aH  Plus, keep an eye on your feed for even MORE CE opportunities later this month! 🌟

Whenever people ask me which books I recommend for personal growth and practice leadership, I always say The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz, because it's had the greatest impact on me personally and professionally. While the central thesis of the book centers on basic ideas that are hardly revolutionary, it still manages to provide unique perspectives that will change the way you approach leadership and transform the culture of your practice! #fouragreements #miguelruiz #personalgrowth #leadership

Sometimes teeth just can’t be saved, no matter how bad we want to salvage them… 💔  The vertical root fracture is one of those moments. As much as I wish I could glue a tooth back together, it's simply not possible—for an endodontist like me or anyone else. It's one of the rare situations in which I recommend an implant, because they do manage to help teeth that can't be saved. As heartbreaking as it is, a vertical root fracture as big as this one actually comes with a blessing in disguise. 🙏🏽 Thanks to how visible the fracture is on the 3D scan, the news becomes a bit easier for the patient to swallow. This, my friends, is exactly why we need endodontic consultations. Because 25% (yes, one in four) of my patients don't end up needing endo at all! Had we bypassed the consultation, we could have ended up doing a root canal on a tooth that was beyond saving—wasting precious time, energy, and money for everyone involved. 😓 So, do your consultations, and please, PLEASE use your cone beam. It's an essential tool in your endo arsenal. Whether an implant or a root canal is the right path forward, it's crucial you get your patients' informed consent before proceeding with treatment. Make it as easy as possible by heading to https://lnkd.in/g2vHQiWE to get my free Endodontic Patient Consent Form.

Not long ago, I was chatting with one of my E-School alumni. 👱🏼♀️She brought me into her world for a second and shared with me the impact the program had had on the way she practices endo. She had picked up a ton of valuable nuggets of 🧠 knowledge, like the importance of using a rubber dam, the purpose of pulpal and periapical testing, and strategies for tackling the MB2, just to name a few. But what really caught my attention was when she talked about a particular patient that she had seen both before and after her experience in E-School (pictured here). She said: "I did a root canal before E-School, and my patient kept having symptoms, but after your class, I felt like I was truly able to help him. Now he’s symptom-free after I re-treated the case following your class. I am so honored to have been part of your program. I’ve developed so much passion and new confidence in what I do." Not only had E-School helped her free the patient from pain, but it had also changed the way she saw 🪞 herself. She told me, "I’ve always wanted the best for my patient. I just didn’t know the potential I had at my fingertips.” Read that again: She just hadn't known her own potential. 🤯 THAT is the gift of E-School, friends. Beyond the skills and the strategies are the self-discovery and transformation that come from taking the time to invest in yourself. I dive into the details of her case and even more E-School takeaways on my blog. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/eqgszzTE Or, if you're ready to transform your endo, your practice, and yourself, head over to https://lnkd.in/g2Eazw-u to enroll in E-School today.

FOR PATIENTS: Pain in an old root canal? Don't panic! If you've been experiencing pain in an old root canal, it can be alarming. "Did the root canal not work?!? Am I going to have to get the tooth extracted?!?" But before you get yourself all worked up, I have some good news to share: Pain in an old root canal DOESN'T mean your tooth is doomed for extraction! While it doesn't happen often, there are several perfectly normal reasons why pain might spring up again even years after your original root canal treatment, like: 🦠 Bacteria left behind from the first treatment 🔄 Re-entry of bacteria before the permanent restoration (i.e. the crown) was put into place 😩 Formation of new cavities or cracks in the same tooth 🦷 Issues with the permanent restoration, such as cracking, loosening, or breaking And guess what? Your pain is almost always treatable! All you have to do is get a retreatment. In fact, retreatment is usually the better option anyways. You can learn more about the reasons for pain in an old root canal, discover why retreatment is the preferred solution, and read a story involving one of my very own patients that I think you'll resonate with at https://lnkd.in/eyxkseS6 Remember: You don't have to live with pain, even if it's coming from a tooth that's been previously treated. Trust your gut, take charge 💪🏽 of your dental health, and schedule an appointment with your endodontist or dentist right away!

Sometimes what seems like the riskier path is actually the more conservative treatment plan… Let me explain. This patient came to me with some deep, deep decay under her crowns. She had what's called Sjögren's syndrome, which is a condition characterized by a lack of saliva and tear production. 💧 Without enough saliva, the environment in her mouth becomes too acidic, causing the cavities you see here. Now, her referring dentist had opted to put crowns on, which in a normal scenario sounds like the more conservative treatment plan. After all, why do a root canal when the nerve hasn't died yet? It makes total sense, and I get why the dentist went that route. But in hindsight, I can see that the decay in this patient's mouth was so severe—and her likelihood of needing root canals in the future so high—that it would have actually benefited her if the dentist had referred her to have the RCTs BEFORE placing the crowns. You can see that scenario playing out in real time here. #25 and #26 are healing beautifully post-root canal, but now there's a little something brewing on #24… 🤔 Cases like this are a perfect example of why investing in your training can totally transform your approach. Even if you don't do the RCT yourself, you can see how having the ability to think critically in a situation like this can have a huge impact on the outcome. Are you ready to up YOUR endo game? Enroll in E-School, my online CE course for dentists, at the link: https://bit.ly/3M3c2Gv

You've heard of girl math and boy math… but now let's talk about endo math! ➕/ ➖ You see, people like to believe that the MB2 is only there half the time. And I get it! It's comforting to think you might not have to deal with this notoriously difficult canal. But in truth, the MB2 is actually there about 96% of the time… which in endo math is ALL the time! I know the MB2 is a struggle, and it would be SO much easier if we didn't have to deal with it. There are still times after 16 years of clinical practice that that little punk gives me a run for my money. 😡 But I can also now fully appreciate the intricacies of the MB2, and I've got some tips to help you know where to find it, how to navigate it once you're there, and how to choose the cases that support your endodontic growth… instead of strip away your confidence. So come along with me in my latest blog at https://lnkd.in/emwCnGyn as I explore some cases that will give you a deeper appreciation for the MB2, demystify some of its challenges, and help you tackle it with more confidence. 😎 'Cause that baby isn't going anywhere anytime soon!