For Patients: Is GentleWave Worth It When Looking for a Dentist or Endodontist?

If you’ve been told by your dental provider that you need a root canal, you might be searching for someone to complete the treatment. Is your dentist the best choice? Are you going with a specialist? There’s no one right or wrong answer; it’s about what’s best for you (including your health, your comfort, your priorities, your financial situation, etc.). But if you’ve been hearing about some new root canal technology, you might find yourself wondering, “Is GentleWave worth it as a patient?” Let’s dive into what GentleWave is, and what are its benefits.

GentleWave is a modern root canal technology by a company called Sonendo that uses fluid and sound dynamics to get the inside of your tooth super clean—even those teeny tiny nooks and crannies that are hard to get with traditional tools.

It’s a root canal, elevated! Not only is it super effective and produces better results, it preserves more of your original tooth structure and it leaves you with less discomfort after your procedure.

My perspective as a GentleWave provider

I am personally a GentleWave provider in my practice, and I’m a huge advocate for dentists and endodontists incorporating it into their practices, too.

The first time I laid my hands on a GentleWave was in 2018. It was such a lightbulb moment for me, because I realized that it would change the whole irrigation process of a root canal. See, when you clean with a traditional tool like a rotary file, about a third of the inner walls of your teeny tiny canals in your teeth can’t be reached. 

Now, root canals performed with a rotary file are perfectly safe and are usually extremely successful. However, when you use a GentleWave, you’re able to activate your irrigant through even the most microscopic parts of the canals, flushing out bacteria and reducing the number of retreatments needed in the future for your root canals.

GentleWave + CBCT + endodontic laser are a match made in heaven

If you’re wondering if the GentleWave is worth it, I hope you have a big ol’ YES as your answer now! But that’s not where I’d stop for technology recommendations.

I’d honestly suggest you ask your dentist about three technologies before your root canal, to make sure you’re getting the most modern-day, effective root canal possible.

First is the GentleWave.

Second is CBCT, also called cone beam technology. This is three-dimensional imaging that lets your dentist take a CT scan of your mouth so they can view your tooth from every single angle. This allows them to find hidden canals that can be harboring bacteria and plan their treatment accordingly. It even helps them with accurate diagnosis, which is the most critical step in the process!

Third is an endodontic laser, which can also activate your irrigant while zapping bacteria and debris in the canal. 

Used together, these three technologies can majorly impact the long-term success of a root canal in the best possible way.

Best of all (and you’re going to love this) these technologies allow your provider to work more quickly. In the past, root canals would often require multiple appointments to complete the treatment. With these technologies, I can usually start and finish a root canal on the same day, meaning you can get back to your life faster!

Is GentleWave worth it as a patient?

There’s a misconception about root canals that they hurt. Root canals should never be painful, because you should be given great local anesthetic for the procedure. In fact, it’s not uncommon for patients in my practice to fall asleep during their treatment!

That said, with a traditional root canal, patients often experience a bit of soreness and discomfort when the anesthesia wears off. Typically, you just need a few over the counter pain meds and a few days of going easy on your mouth.

But with GentleWave, your recovery time will be way faster, and you might not feel any post-treatment discomfort or pain at all! Many of my patients, at the most, only need something like Advil to feel awesome during their recovery.

I personally love being an advocate for this technology, because GentleWave is SO worth it for my patients and my practice. It allows me to eradicate more bacteria, save more teeth, and keep my patients happier.

So definitely check with your provider to ask if they use this technology. It’s a COMPLETE game-changer in the world of endodontics.

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– Dr. Sonia