Endodontists in the area are sparse but Luis Missura recently opened a practice called Precision Endodontics in Leavenworth, Kan.
The term endodontist comes from the Greek word meaning inside a tooth which also describes what Missura specializes in.
“I work inside the tooth,” Missura said. “The pulp of the tooth. So my job is essentially root canals. By doing root canals I am trying to save teeth, take away toothaches, cure abscesses and prevent future problems.”
When a tooth needs a root canal the nerve is taken out, which allows Missura to build a strong foundation and save a tooth that would otherwise be lost because of infection or pain.
He does some surgeries but he doesn’t pull teeth. His treatments are all based on saving teeth. “Implants are popular nowadays but implants are replacements for teeth that are not there,” Missura said. “They shouldn't be a replacement for teeth that are there.”
Teeth help maintain a healthy bone structure and Missura said that studies have shown that the more natural teeth a person has the healthier they are. “Endodontic infections can lead to a lot of different health issues up to and including death,” Missura said.
He was 19 when he decided he wanted to be a dentist. He graduated with a biology degree and then went to dental school.
A general dentist for 9 years, he’s been an endodontist for the past three years. After graduating from dental school in 2010 he went to an advanced dentistry registry where he spent an extra year learning advanced techniques. After a while he decided that wasn't enough for him.
“I really loved endodontics and didn't want to be a jack of all trades and master of none,” Missura said. “I really wanted to develop a mastery in endodontics, so I went back into a residency where I spent two years and got out and practiced endodontics in the military for three years. I got out of the Army June 30, 2019 and opened my doors to Precision Endodontics July 1, 2019. I had been planning on this for about a year-and-a-half knowing that I was going to leave the military.”
After leaving the Army he and his wife decided to move closer to her family in Atchison, Kan. He explored different options for business spaces in the Kansas City area and decided to choose Leavenworth.
“I found that Leavenworth, Atchison, Doniphan counties and a bunch of the other counties surrounding Leavenworth are extremely underserved and there has not been an endodontist in this area for over 30 years,” Missura said.
He also chose Leavenworth because of the population density and because of his military background. Many of his patients are military veterans and helping them is very important to him.
“Ultimately, this is where I felt I could do the most good,” Missura said.
Missura believes the most important thing to tell a patient is about the importance of prevention. “Be kind to your teeth, they are an incredibly valuable part of you,” Missura said. "Maintain a healthy diet and stay away from acidic foods and sodas and energy drinks. More than anything else take a proactive approach and see your general dentist twice a year. You don't want to end up with a root canal. Be proactive and brush and floss your teeth twice a day and get any problems taken care of. We can catch things early but if teeth get neglected little problems become bigger problems.”
Although an implant is an option for those who don’t want a root canal Missura warns that implants have complications but dental problems need to be addressed.
“There have been children that have had dental abscesses and didn’t get the tooth removed or a root canal and have actually died from it,” Missura said. “Periodontal bacteria can be implicated in diabetes and heart disease. Saving teeth is important not just because of the aesthetics or how somebody looks but because it makes you a healthier individual and you're able to eat different foods better. It's not that implants will cause bacterial infections but implants are very expensive and they have a failure rate just about the same as a root canal. Keeping your natural tooth structure is way better for you than replacing it with essentially metal. Nothing's going to be as good as what God gave you.”
Missura says his mission is essentially putting himself out of a job and getting people to take care of their teeth. But for the time being when a cavity or a crack threatens a tooth and a patient wants to keep their natural teeth he can help them avoid a prosthesis.
He advises that people be careful with dental insurance since some dentists don’t take some types of insurance and a lot of policies don’t cover everything.
“If you haven't taken good care of your teeth then you definitely need dental insurance,” Missura said. “Otherwise, if you're very proactive about taking care of your teeth you might be able to get along without it.”
Feeling that he does good for people every day is one of his favorite parts of the job. He says he is thrilled getting phone calls from patients who tell him they finally got some rest after not being able to sleep for days due to pain.
“It’s so rewarding when people say ‘thank God you're here, we needed somebody like you,” Missura said. “Ultimately my job is to save people's teeth and get people out of pain and prevent infections. I’m here to take care of people and I treat my patients like they were family. My team is also my family. I’m the type of guy that will pick up my phone at 3 a.m. if somebody needs me. I don't take that lightly. I'm the toothache guy, if you’ve got a toothache give me a call.”
Dr. Luis Missura opened his practice, Precision Endodontics in July.