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Today we sit down with Dr. Eddie Tai, the endodontist, aka root canal specialist, to explore the essential role of endodontics in saving teeth. As the founder of Apex Endodontics in Las Vegas, Dr. Eddie Tai takes us through the fascinating world of endodontics and the importance of saving teeth. He explains the basics of root canals, why they’re necessary, and what happens during the procedure. Dr. Tai also discusses when kids and teens should consider seeing an endodontist and highlights the advanced technology that makes these treatments more comfortable. Along the way, he dispels common myths about root canals, offers valuable tips for keeping teeth strong and healthy, and shares advice for kids who may be nervous about visiting the dentist. If you’re interested in a career in dentistry, Dr. Tai also provides guidance on how to start that journey!
About the Hosts:
Angelina Huang, Founder
Angelia is a nationally top ranked junior golfer at her junior high year. Angelina is also ranked number one academically among seven hundred students at Clark High School, Nevada. Angelina hopes to play college golf and pursue a career in the medical field or dentistry. Her passion is Neuroscience and Statistics. Angelina has been travelling around the country competing against the best junior golfers in the world since age of seven. She is also the Amazon published author, “I Want to Play College Golf”. Since Year 2021, Angelina and Cameron have donated over $17,000 their book proceeds back to the community for the underserved family and patients who are in need of cancer treatment. Aside from daily golf practices and school, she enjoys listening to music and watching chilling crime shows.
Cameron Huang, Founder
Cameron is also a nationally top ranked junior golfer at her sophomore year. Cameron is ranked top 5% academically among eight hundred students at Clark High School, Nevada. Cameron also hopes to play college golf and pursue a career as an orthodontist in the future. Cameron is the coauthor of “I Want to Play College Golf” with Angelina, and they have donated over $17,000 their book proceeds back to the community for the underserved family and patients who are in need of cancer treatment. When Cameron isn't on the green or studying, she's enjoying her free time watching K-drama and studying makeup and skincare with her friends.
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Welcome to the Dentistry for Kidz podcast. We are Angelina and Cameron and we love candy. Do you all love candy? We've learned how to enjoy all the candy we want without getting cavities or getting in trouble with our dentist. Want to learn our magic. Join us discover how to enjoy sweets and have nice, bright, clean, shiny, white tea. Let's go
On today's episode of dentistry for kids, we have the pleasure of welcoming Dr Eddie Tai, a highly respected root canal specialist in endodontist. Dr Tai is a practicing doctor of APEX endodontics in Las Vegas and earned his biology degree at UCLA. He then went on to conduct groundbreaking research at the UCLA School of Dentistry, contributing to a published study on oral maxillofacial prosthetics. Afterward, he attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where he received his Doctor of Dental Medicine Degree and a specialty certificate in ethnodontics. Dr Tai was the recipient of top awards, including the Louis one Grossman endodontic Award and the dent supply Tulsa endodontic resident award. So if you've ever wondered about the fine art of saving teeth, you're in for a treat. Welcome to the podcast, Dr Tai, so for our first question, can you explain to our young listeners what an endodontist does and why your work is important for dental health?
Dr. Eddie Tai: Yes. Hi everyone. This is Dr Eddie Tai. Endodontist is a specialist dentist that helps people to save their teeth by treating tooth related diseases and infections, and it's very important about dental health, because it's a branch of dentistry that help people to save teeth.
Perfect, great explanation. So what types of dental problems do endodontists treat that regular dentists might not and when would you advise someone to visit an endodontist?
Dr. Eddie Tai: All general dentists are capable of treating dental diseases, and depending on the complexity of anatomy, the degree of infection. So in those cases, endodontist will be the specialist that will be especially trained to help those patients. That's when endodontist will be needed, and then it will be referred to a specialist with the business training to manage those issues. Perfect.
And is there any advice that you would give to kids and teens to help them to avoid needing a root canal.
Dr. Eddie Tai: Yes, this will be the first advice. Will be the oral hygiene, the maintenance, and also regular visit to your general dentist. Be careful with sports related activities, because a lot of times trauma can contribute to injuries to teeth, and then it's very important that you pay attention to those daily activities. Great.
And a lot of people hear the word root canal. Can you explain what a root canal is and how you make the procedure comfortable?
Dr. Eddie Tai: Root Canal is a common term that you can hear in many places, including movies like Finding Nemo. Root Canal is a term that describe a morphology of a tooth inside the tooth. So many kids come here frightened, so it's very important that we provide them with education diagram and also with the presence of parents, we explain to the procedure. And usually the first visit, we recommend more of a soothing environment, and also to basically not to providing too much information, and then a lot of times that we may provide them with medication that can help them to ease their anxiety, things like that. That's
really good. And are there any signs that a child or teen might need a root canal or other endodontic treatment?
Dr. Eddie Tai: Cases, like for a kid's case, a lot of times that can be trauma based, ideology, fun sports, also from poor oral hygiene, gross decays, cavity, things like that. So these are the signs that usually will see a lot of children or teen, teenager with braces, they may not have the best oral hygiene, that's when they will need root canal or endodontic treatment.
Great. And just some random questions for fun, if you had to pick a toothpaste flavor, what would. You choose,
Dr. Eddie Tai: I will choose peppermint, okay, and
any specific brand that you like or any ingredient that you look for in the toothpaste,
Dr. Eddie Tai: Colgate, why? Because that's more commonly used, popular toothpaste in a non market.
Great and personal preference, what order do you floss, brush your teeth and use
Dr. Eddie Tai: mouthwash? Okay, this great, very, very important question, I will personally floss first, because that way you can remove all the debris in between teeth. So think about flossing, and after that, you can brush your teeth to wipe all the angles, brush everything corner clean, and then at the end, once everything is clean, I'll do the mouthwash. And a lot of times you can purchase fluoridate base mouthwash that will help you to provide additional protection for your teeth, and that's what I will do.
Okay? And last random question, do you have a preference for electronic or regular toothbrush?
Dr. Eddie Tai: Sonic Care will be the standard because of the overall efficacy and functions that you can utilize. So I will say sounding care will be the brand now pick,
yeah. Okay. And so our last question today, finally, Dr Tai, if any of our listeners are interested in becoming dentists or endodontists one day, do you have any advice you would give them to start on that path?
Dr. Eddie Tai: Yes, I think the most important objective right now is to do one school, learn the basic science, and as you go along your educational path, it will be beneficial for you to volunteer or to work at various clinics of different areas, different specialties, and I think that will be a more of a hands on clinical experience that you can acquire and also to equip you or empower yourself to become a future doctor or dentist, whichever, especially you like to be. And
based on your answer, did you? Did you follow that path?
Dr. Eddie Tai: Yes. So during the last few years of college at UCLA, I volunteer at various clinics helping different doctors, so I learn little bit more what each specialty or what each branch of dentistry is all about, and then it helps me to differentiate or to select the few of endodontics that I want to pursue in the future.
Great well, thank you very much for coming on today. Great answers to our questions.
Dr. Eddie Tai: Thank you for having me. Appreciate all the listeners.
Thank you.
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