Dr. Crista Elaine Massaro D.M.D
Endodontist | Endodontics
3641 SAINT LAWRENCE AVE READING PA, 19606Rating
5/5
About
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.
Education and Training
Temple University B.S. Chemistry 1999
U. Conn School of Dentistry D.M.D. 2004
TuftsUniv. School of Dentistry Endodontics Certificate 2006
Provider Details
Dr. Crista Elaine Massaro D.M.D's Expert Contributions
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 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. READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 canal. Good luck. READ MORE
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. Performing a root canal is a good option to conservatively save your tooth and eliminate infection without an embarrassing extraction. Good luck. READ MORE
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 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! READ MORE
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 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! READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 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! :) READ MORE
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). 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!!! READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
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 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. READ MORE
Dr. Crista Elaine Massaro D.M.D's Practice location
READING, PA 19606Get Direction
Dr. Crista Elaine Massaro D.M.D's reviews
Write ReviewPatient Experience with Dr. Massaro
Media Releases
Get to know Endodontist Dr. Crista E. Massaro, who serves patients in Reading, Pennsylvania.
A highly skilled endodontist, Dr. Massaro serves the community of Berks County, Pennsylvania at her private practice, Exeter Endodontics, LLC.
Born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Exeter Township High School, and attended Temple University where she earned a full-athletic scholarship for gymnastics. At Temple, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1999 and received Dean’s List and Academic All-American honors.
Prior to dental school, Dr. Massaro worked as a chair side dental assistant in a general dentistry practice. There, she was able to appreciate the wide scope of practice needed to be a successful general dentist. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry degree from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine in 2004. As a dental student, she was honored by the American College of Dentists for excellence, ethics, and professionalism in dentistry.
Subsequently, she received her Endodontics Specialty Certificate from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2006. At Tufts, she learned to incorporate technology into her daily practice by performing procedures guided with a surgical microscope, digital radiography and CBCT.
In her professional experience, she held a resident teaching position and worked in a South Boston private dental practice to expand her endodontic skills. During this time, she became highly proficient in diagnosing and treating multiple disease states of the dental pulp and other oral pathology conditions. She then went on to serve as an endodontic associate in private practice in Wyomissing and Pottstown for 16 years, before realizing her dream and opening her own solo practice in 2020.
Continuously advancing her education, Dr. Massaro is a member of the American Dental Association, and the American Association of Endodontists. She has also enjoyed membership in the Berks and Montgomery County Dental Societies during her career.
Endodontics is the dental specialty concerned with the study and treatment of the infected and inflamed dental pulp. Along with two to three years of advanced training beyond dental school, endodontists have incredible precision and hand-eye coordination, making them highly skilled in performing complex treatments. They use the most specialized and advanced technology to treat tooth pain and perform root canal treatments. No one is better at saving your natural teeth!
Recommended Articles
![]()
What are metatarsal bones?The five long bones of the metatarsus of the foot are known as the metatarsals. Just as metacarpals of the hand are made of different components, similarly, metatarsals are made of different components such as a proximal base, shaft, and distal head. Arches of the foot are formed by the metatarsal...
![]()
Is Fibromyalgia Brain Fog a Prelude to Dementia?The word dementia has been sparking fear since the moment the term was coined. Those who suffer from any disease belonging to this category often have their whole lives turned upside down; people who used to matter and bring joy to their lives no longer register on their memory, as if they don’t...
- Is My Child More Likely to Develop Autism if a Blood Relative Has Autism?
Autism characterized by impaired social interactions reduced verbal and non-verbal communication and stereotyped behavior and activities. These symptoms appear in early childhood and impair or limit everyday functioning.Autism and geneticsResearchers believe that both environment and genetics play a...
- What Is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is an age-old Ayurvedic remedy that is getting a lot of attention these days as more and more people become health conscious. This Ayurvedic remedy is known as a detoxification procedure that keeps your teeth and mouth healthy. Although there are not that many formal scientific studies...
![]()
Robotic Arm Gives Teen with Muscular Dystrophy A New Lease on LifeAustin Stelly is only 14-years old, and he has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The disease is a genetic disorder that over time causes degeneration of the muscles. Austin uses a motorized wheelchair full-time, and it has been his mode of movement for about four years. When Austin was ten years old, he...
![]()
Treatment Options for Teenage AcneAcne is normally caused by changing levels of hormones. This is why youths develop it during puberty or before getting their periods. Hormones are the culprits because they stimulate the oil-producing glands in the skin to produce more oil, which clogs the pores on the skin surface. There are few...
Nearest Hospitals
ST JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTERl
2500 BERNVILLE ROAD READING PA 19605