Specialist endodontics and root canal treatment
Dr Shayden Bell is from Whakatāne, and we are proud to have him back as our visiting endodontist. Endodontics is the specialty of saving teeth.
- Otago-trained specialist
- Whakatāne born and raised
- Visits once or twice a month
- 3D scanning and microscope
Saving teeth, rather than removing them
Shayden graduated in dentistry from Otago in 2017 and worked as a general dentist in Whitianga, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki before returning to Dunedin to specialise as an endodontist.
Root canal treatment
A root canal treats infection inside the tooth so the tooth can be kept rather than taken out. It is the treatment Shayden trained specifically to do, and the reason he is here.
A second opinion before an extraction
If you are worried about having a root canal, Shayden’s advice is to have a consultation with him first, before a tooth is taken out. Some teeth that look lost can be saved.
Root canals that have not healed properly
A root canal done previously does not always settle. Retreatment means reopening the tooth, cleaning and disinfecting the canals again, and resealing it.
Root-end surgery, or apicoectomy
When infection at the tip of the root does not clear up after a root canal, the root tip can be treated surgically through the gum instead. Shayden performs root-end surgery where a tooth needs it.
Tooth pain that has been hard to diagnose
Pain does not always point clearly to one tooth, and infection is not always visible on a standard x-ray. Shayden diagnoses and treats tooth pain and infection that has been difficult to pin down, using the in-house 3D scan where a flat image is not enough.
3D scanning for treatment planning
Shayden uses the in-house Axeos CBCT scanner to plan treatment in three dimensions, so the shape of the tooth and its roots is understood before any treatment starts.
Treatment under an operating microscope
Root canals are done under an operating dental microscope. It gives Shayden a far clearer view of the inside of the tooth than the naked eye allows.
Been told a tooth is too complex to save?
Shayden’s advice is to have a consultation before the tooth comes out. He will tell you whether it can be kept, and a consultation is not a commitment to treatment.
Root canal treatment without the drive to Hamilton or Tauranga
Dr Shayden Bell
Shayden grew up in Whakatāne and studied dentistry in Dunedin, where he took a Bachelor of Dental Surgery with distinction in 2017. He worked as a general dentist in Whitianga, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki before going back to Dunedin to specialise, finishing a Doctorate in Clinical Dentistry in Endodontics at Otago in 2024.
John Twaddle is part of why he chose endodontics. Shayden says he was struck by John’s passion for saving teeth, and that saving a tooth was what he preferred for his own patients wherever it was possible. That, and wanting a higher level of certainty about the outcome for the person in the chair, is what took him into the specialty.
Back where he started
Shayden is based in Hamilton and travels to Whakatāne once or twice a month, which makes him one of the few specialists the Eastern Bay does not have to send patients away to see.
Qualifications and training
“Thanks Shayden, I was so close to taking my tooth out. Thanks to you it has another chance, and you made the whole process very relaxed.”
“What a difference two weeks makes! You found the source of my pain with your 3D X-ray, and within two weeks of you working your magic, the nagging ache is gone! Thank you! And I didn’t have to leave town, great service!”
“If anyone is worried about having a root canal, they should consider a consult with me first, before extracting a tooth.”
Dr Shayden Bell
Enquire about endodontic treatment
Tell us what is going on and reception will call you back to arrange a consultation with Shayden. Referrals from dentists are welcome.
07 308 5279