EXPERT
Dr. Crista Elaine Massaro, D.M.D
Endodontist
Dr. Crista Massaro was born and raised in Reading, PA and is a graduate of Exeter Township High School. She attended Temple University where she earned a full-athletic scholarship for gymnastics. At Temple, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Chemistry and received Dean’s List and Academic All-American honors.
Prior to dental school, Crista worked as a chair side dental assistant in General Dentistry. It was here that she was able to appreciate the wide scope of practice needed to be a successful general dentist. Crista obtained her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Connecticut. As a dental student, she was honored by the American College of Dentists for excellence, ethics, and professionalism in Dentistry.
Dr. Massaro received her Endodontics Specialty Certificate from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA. Crista held a Resident teaching position and worked in a South Boston private dental practice to expand her Endodontic skills. It was during this time became highly proficient in diagnosing and treating multiple disease states the dental pulp and other oral pathology conditions. At Tufts, she learned to incorporate technology into her daily practice by performing procedures guided with a surgical microscope, digital radiography and CBCT.
Since that time, Dr. Massaro worked as an Endodontic associate in private practice in Wyomissing and Pottstown, PA for the past 16 years. In 2020, she made her dream a reality of opening up her own solo private practice. She has been a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). Crista has enjoyed membership in the Berks and Montgomery County Dental Societies during her career.
Prior to dental school, Crista worked as a chair side dental assistant in General Dentistry. It was here that she was able to appreciate the wide scope of practice needed to be a successful general dentist. Crista obtained her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Connecticut. As a dental student, she was honored by the American College of Dentists for excellence, ethics, and professionalism in Dentistry.
Dr. Massaro received her Endodontics Specialty Certificate from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA. Crista held a Resident teaching position and worked in a South Boston private dental practice to expand her Endodontic skills. It was during this time became highly proficient in diagnosing and treating multiple disease states the dental pulp and other oral pathology conditions. At Tufts, she learned to incorporate technology into her daily practice by performing procedures guided with a surgical microscope, digital radiography and CBCT.
Since that time, Dr. Massaro worked as an Endodontic associate in private practice in Wyomissing and Pottstown, PA for the past 16 years. In 2020, she made her dream a reality of opening up her own solo private practice. She has been a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Association of Endodontists (AAE). Crista has enjoyed membership in the Berks and Montgomery County Dental Societies during her career.
25 years
Experience
Dr. Crista Elaine Massaro, D.M.D
- READING, PA
- Temple University
- Accepting new patients
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Can a root canal have prolonged recovery?
Good morning Friend. I’m sorry to hear that it seems you are having a prolonged recovery following your recent root canal. There is no specific data to support a standard time READ MORE
Good morning Friend. I’m sorry to hear that it seems you are having a prolonged recovery following your recent root canal. There is no specific data to support a standard time frame in which you should recover following a procedure. Of course, individual healing differences should be mentioned and accounted for. However, in the majority the cases our patients report the bulk of the healing and relief typically occurs in the first two weeks after your root canal is completed. Your recovery seems to be on an extended course compared to the expected recovery time.
What pain medicine to take after a root canal?
Hello. Taling generally, without knowing your medical history and allergies, anti-inflammatory medications are often the first line of medications we recommend over opiods for READ MORE
Hello. Taling generally, without knowing your medical history and allergies, anti-inflammatory medications are often the first line of medications we recommend over opiods for our patients. These help reduce post operative inflammatory pain. After your visit, your doctor will make specific recommendations based on your specific medical history and your procedure received. Good Luck.
What is the best mouthwash to use after a root canal?
Hi there! Mouth rinses are generally not indicated after a root canal. The recommended follow-through is to have the tooth restored with a permanent restoration following the root READ MORE
Hi there! Mouth rinses are generally not indicated after a root canal. The recommended follow-through is to have the tooth restored with a permanent restoration following the root canal. Good luck.
Can you get a root canal on your front tooth?
Hi there. Doing a root canal to alleviate infection on a front tooth is a common practice in endodontics. In fact, a root canal can basically be performed on any tooth in the mouth. READ MORE
Hi there. Doing a root canal to alleviate infection on a front tooth is a common practice in endodontics. In fact, a root canal can basically be performed on any tooth in the mouth. Performing a root canal is a good option to conservatively save your tooth and eliminate infection without an embarrassing extraction. Good luck.
Are root canals more painful than fillings?
Good morning. The pain you feel during a filling and the pain you feel during a root canal should be exactly the same, Nothing! The difference being typically teeth that need a READ MORE
Good morning. The pain you feel during a filling and the pain you feel during a root canal should be exactly the same, Nothing! The difference being typically teeth that need a root canal are more painful to start with. Teeth getting a root canal are profoundly anesthetized during treatment and patients won’t feel pain during the procedure. When that ‘Novocaine’ wears off, patients will be left with inflammation (irritation) they had prior to the root canal that needs time to heal and resolve. It’s probably this fact that the greater initial pain for teeth that require a root canal, that makes people think that root canals are more painful. Root canal treated teeth may require more healing time compared with a regular filling despite both procedures being painless during the treatment window. I hope this helps!
What are the signs of a failed root canal?
Good morning. Some signs of root canal failure are pain, swelling or a possible fistula (gum bubble). These are all things that a patient is able to gauge themselves if there is READ MORE
Good morning. Some signs of root canal failure are pain, swelling or a possible fistula (gum bubble). These are all things that a patient is able to gauge themselves if there is a problem. Sometimes my dentist is able to recognize a root canal failure on an x-ray as well that may or may not be painful to the patient. Good luck!
Can a tooth affected by cavities be saved?
Hi there. If you are lucky or unlucky a tooth may have the ability to receive several fillings without needing a root canal or extraction. It is when the filling is very deep it READ MORE
Hi there. If you are lucky or unlucky a tooth may have the ability to receive several fillings without needing a root canal or extraction. It is when the filling is very deep it may need a root canal or if the tooth is too far gone, extraction may be your only remaining option. Check with your dentist to see that the tooth is restorable or salvageable prior to initiating a root canal or extracting the tooth. I hope this helps.
Is a root canal painful after anesthesia?
Hi there. The reason teeth need root canal treatment is either due to a dead abscessed tooth or an alive irritated nerve. Both of these teeth can be very painful to initiating READ MORE
Hi there. The reason teeth need root canal treatment is either due to a dead abscessed tooth or an alive irritated nerve. Both of these teeth can be very painful to initiating a root canal. During a root canal, the irritated or dead tissue is remove within the tooth. After the procedure, the patient’s body is left to resolve residual irritation outside of the tooth and gums which can still be painful following the completion of the root canal. So, yes there is a chance the teeth can be painful afterwards after a root canal especially if patients came in with pain prior to the treatment. That is why I tell all patients that it may take several days for their bodies to catch up with a root canal procedure. I hope this helps.
How painful is a root canal without anesthesia?
Good morning. Teeth that need root canals are of two types alive or dead. Performing root canal therapy on an alive tooth without anesthesia would be similar to an 80’s horror READ MORE
Good morning. Teeth that need root canals are of two types alive or dead. Performing root canal therapy on an alive tooth without anesthesia would be similar to an 80’s horror movie. Not advisable. On the other hand, it may be possible to perform root canal treatment on a dead tooth without using anesthesia in certain instances. With that being said, that having no blood supply (dead tooth) does not mean that all the nerve tissue is dead as well. I routinely recommend using anesthesia for all teeth requiring root canal treatment in my office. Good luck.
How successful is an apicoectomy?
Good morning. There are many different factors that could positively or negatively affect the success of an apicoectomy. It’s success rate can depend on what material is used to READ MORE
Good morning. There are many different factors that could positively or negatively affect the success of an apicoectomy. It’s success rate can depend on what material is used to fill the end of the root, if micro-surgical instruments/techniques are being used and if retreatment had been done prior to the apicoectomy. The latter could be the biggest factor for success. If there was no retreatment the success could be as low as 55 or 60%. Doing retreatment in conjunction with apical surgery can increase the surgical prognosis by an additional 25%. Every case is different however, I would recommend having apical surgery with someone who is trained in doing microsurgical procedures. I hope this helps.
What can be the risks involved in an endodontic surgery?
Good morning. The risks for endodontics surgery are generally the same as any other kind of surgical risk which includes the risk of bleeding, risk of infection, pain, neurological READ MORE
Good morning. The risks for endodontics surgery are generally the same as any other kind of surgical risk which includes the risk of bleeding, risk of infection, pain, neurological problems, and/or inadvertent injury. With diabetes, especially having uncontrolled diabetes is a contraindication for ANY surgery and could put you at risk for the following:
• Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can be an issue after surgery
• Poor wound healing
• Slow wound healing
• Infection of the wound
• Other types of infection such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, or sepsis
• Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS)
• Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
• Electrolyte imbalance: A condition where electrolyte levels such as sodium or potassium rise or fall significantly, which can cause significant problems with the heart and the body’s fluid levels.
Please check with your physician to make sure you are safe for any upcoming surgical procedure. Generally, endodontic surgery is a safe procedure that is localized with a low risk for bleeding and infection even with the end root resection. Patients tolerate this procedure well which could result in having pain and/or swelling for around a week or so after the procedure. Good luck.
• Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can be an issue after surgery
• Poor wound healing
• Slow wound healing
• Infection of the wound
• Other types of infection such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, or sepsis
• Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS)
• Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
• Electrolyte imbalance: A condition where electrolyte levels such as sodium or potassium rise or fall significantly, which can cause significant problems with the heart and the body’s fluid levels.
Please check with your physician to make sure you are safe for any upcoming surgical procedure. Generally, endodontic surgery is a safe procedure that is localized with a low risk for bleeding and infection even with the end root resection. Patients tolerate this procedure well which could result in having pain and/or swelling for around a week or so after the procedure. Good luck.
How can root canal treatment be prevented?
The best prevention for having a future root canal is avoiding decay altogether and the resulting restoration. The smaller the filling, the lower the chance the tooth has of developing READ MORE
The best prevention for having a future root canal is avoiding decay altogether and the resulting restoration. The smaller the filling, the lower the chance the tooth has of developing immediate or future issues. Any restoration big or small causes "nerve" irritation and possibly a root canal. Keep up with your prevention every six months at your dentist and your home care. That is the best recipe for steering clear of the Endodontist. Hope this helps! :)
Do you get anesthesia for a root canal?
Hi, they are three types of anesthesia that you could come across in a dental office. Local anesthesia (“novocaine”), General (IV sedation), and conscious sedation (nitrous oxide). READ MORE
Hi, they are three types of anesthesia that you could come across in a dental office. Local anesthesia (“novocaine”), General (IV sedation), and conscious sedation (nitrous oxide). The teeth I scheduled for root canal treatment in my office all get local anesthesia. This anesthesia alone is sufficient to treat all cases. General sedation is typically not provided in most dental offices and it’s not required for root canal treatment. Contrary to popular belief, Conscious sedation “laughing gas” does not do anything to numb up the tooth. It certainly may aid you in facing the root canal but it does not help the tooth to feel less pain. Good luck!!!
How many root canals can you have done at once?
Hi, In my experience, I have treated patients who need multiple root canals during the same setting. There are a lot of factors that go into treating multiple teeth at the same READ MORE
Hi, In my experience, I have treated patients who need multiple root canals during the same setting. There are a lot of factors that go into treating multiple teeth at the same visit including the level of difficulty in the teeth needing treatment, the patient’s general health, and the location of the teeth requiring treatment. Obviously, patients should be healthy enough to tolerate an extended set that may be needed to perform multiple root canals at one time. It may be a good idea- - - if the teeth how far apart possibly schedule separate visits. Getting Novocaine in different quadrants is never a fun thing to do from a patient perspective. Good luck.
One of my front teeth just chipped. How will this be fixed?
Sorry to hear about your front tooth. I know that’s a concerning problem when that happens. Generally speaking, your dentist can use a bonding agent and composite filling to fix READ MORE
Sorry to hear about your front tooth. I know that’s a concerning problem when that happens. Generally speaking, your dentist can use a bonding agent and composite filling to fix the chip. Minimal preparation “drilling” will likely need to be performed because the side is already broken and it’s not decayed. A small mylar strip may be useful to separate the teeth and encourage a good flossing area. The composite can be polished up afterward if needed. Hopefully, this is a simple repair and only a small amount of tooth loss. Good luck.
