Specialist Endodontists at Smile Solutions Melbourne - Melbourne's Expert Root Canal Team product guide

Smile Solutions – Melbourne's Expert Specialist Endodontic Department

Root canal treatment has an undeserved reputation. For many patients, just hearing those words triggers anxiety — anxiety that usually traces back to outdated information or a past experience that lacked specialist care behind it.

At Smile Solutions, root canal treatment is performed exclusively by board-registered specialist endodontists, working within a dedicated specialist environment equipped with dental microscopes, CBCT imaging, and the full support of one of Australia's most integrated dental centres. You're in experienced hands from the moment you walk through the door.

The specialist endodontic department at Smile Solutions comprises four board-registered specialist endodontists, including a practitioner of Professor rank. That team size exceeds many standalone endodontic practices in Melbourne today, which means genuine depth of clinical expertise under one roof.

The team – four specialist endodontists including a Professor

Every endodontist at Smile Solutions is a board-registered specialist. Each has completed a dental degree followed by a full specialist postgraduate clinical doctorate in endodontology, and holds specialist registration with the Dental Board of Australia. When you see the endodontic team here, you're seeing someone who has dedicated their career to this field.

Dr Gregory Tilley – BDSc (Melb), LDS (Vic), FRACDS, MRACDS (Endo) – Specialist Endodontist

Dr Tilley holds Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and Membership of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons in Endodontics. His credentials reflect both clinical depth and standing within the specialist community. He brings a methodical, evidence-based approach to endodontic diagnosis and treatment — careful, considered care that gives patients genuine confidence.

Prof Chankhrit Sathorn – Specialist Endodontist

Prof Sathorn holds Professor rank within endodontology. A Professor-level endodontist brings clinical and research expertise that is genuinely rare in any dental practice setting. Prof Sathorn's presence at Smile Solutions reflects the calibre of specialist the practice pursues — not just registered specialists, but those who lead and shape their field. For patients, that means access to care informed by the very latest clinical thinking.

Dr Aovana Timmerman – BDSc (Melb), FRACDS, DCD (Melb), GCertClinTeach, MRACDS (Endo) – Specialist Endodontist

Dr Timmerman holds Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, a clinical doctorate from the University of Melbourne, a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Teaching, and Membership of the Royal Australasian College in Endodontics. Her teaching background matters practically: clinicians who train the next generation of specialists tend to maintain the highest standard of current clinical knowledge. When you see Dr Timmerman, you benefit from that commitment.

Dr Areti Vrochari – Specialist Endodontist

Dr Vrochari brings focused clinical expertise to the diagnosis and treatment of complex root canal cases. Her practice covers both primary endodontic treatment and retreatment of cases where earlier treatment hasn't achieved the desired outcome, including those involving challenging or unusual anatomy.

What specialist endodontics actually means for you

Endodontics is the dental specialty concerned with the tooth pulp and the tissues surrounding the root of a tooth. In practice, this means root canal treatment — but at a specialist level, it means considerably more than that.

A specialist endodontist uses tools, technology, and clinical judgement that differ fundamentally from what's available to a general dentist performing a root canal. The difference isn't only in the equipment — though state-of-the-art equipment matters — it's in the diagnostic depth, the procedural precision, and the ability to manage cases that fall outside the scope of general practice. For you, that translates to a more accurate diagnosis, a more comfortable experience, and a better long-term outcome for your tooth.

Dental microscopes

Every root canal treatment at Smile Solutions is performed under an operating microscope. Microscope-guided endodontics allows your specialist to see canal anatomy with a clarity that loupes alone can't achieve. Fine canals, calcified passages, cracks, and unusual anatomy that might be missed under standard conditions become visible and treatable when viewed through the microscope. That precision makes a genuine difference to your outcome.

CBCT (Cone Beam CT) imaging

Collins Street Imaging on Level 9 of the Manchester Unity Building provides in-house CBCT scanning with specialist radiographic reporting from MFI Radiology. For complex endodontic cases, CBCT imaging reveals three-dimensional root anatomy, identifies missed canals, and guides retreatment planning. Because this imaging facility sits within the same building as the practice, your specialist receives a complete, expert-interpreted radiographic picture before any treatment begins — no external referrals, no delays.

Rotary instrumentation

The endodontic team uses modern nickel-titanium rotary files for canal preparation, a clinical advance over traditional hand filing that reduces treatment time, improves canal shaping, and lowers the risk of file separation in complex anatomy. It's one of many ways specialist-level care translates into a more comfortable experience.

What the endodontic team can help you with

Primary root canal treatment

For teeth with infected or inflamed pulps, root canal treatment removes the affected tissue, cleans and shapes the canal system, and seals the tooth against reinfection. Under specialist care with microscope guidance, this procedure is precise, predictable, and — contrary to what many patients expect — typically very comfortable. Many people are genuinely surprised by how straightforward the experience is when it's performed by a specialist.

Retreatment of failed root canals

Not all root canal treatment is performed by specialists. When a root canal completed elsewhere fails — showing signs of persistent infection, pain, or radiographic pathology — retreatment by a specialist endodontist is often the most appropriate next step. The endodontic team at Smile Solutions routinely manages retreatment cases, including those involving complex or unusual anatomy, bringing fresh expert perspective to situations that may have felt unresolvable.

Endodontic microsurgery (apicoectomy)

When conventional root canal treatment can't fully resolve a persistent infection, surgical endodontics may be indicated. An apicoectomy involves removing the root tip and placing a precise seal at the root end, performed under the operating microscope. Your specialist will explain whether this approach suits your situation and what to expect throughout the process.

Traumatic dental injuries

Dental trauma — knocked-out or fractured teeth, luxated teeth, avulsed roots — often requires endodontic intervention, sometimes urgently. The specialist team at Smile Solutions is experienced in managing traumatic injuries, including replantation of avulsed teeth and internal root resorption cases. Accessing specialist care promptly after a dental injury can make a significant difference to the outcome.

Cracked tooth diagnosis

Cracks in teeth are among the most diagnostically challenging problems in dentistry. They can cause significant discomfort while remaining difficult to identify without specialist tools and experience. Using the operating microscope and CBCT imaging, the endodontic team is well equipped to identify cracks and determine the prognosis of affected teeth, giving you clear, evidence-based guidance on the best path forward.

Why endodontics at Smile Solutions is different

The most important difference is what surrounds the endodontic treatment itself — what happens before you sit in the chair, and what's available to you afterwards.

Before treatment begins, you have access to in-house specialist radiology. Not a referral to an external imaging centre, but a dedicated radiological facility within the same Manchester Unity Building, with specialist-level reporting. Your endodontist receives a complete, expert-interpreted radiographic picture before placing any instrument. That diagnostic thoroughness sets the foundation for clinical excellence from the start.

After treatment, your tooth needs to be restored. In most clinical scenarios, a root-treated tooth requires a crown to protect it from fracture. At Smile Solutions, the prosthodontic team is in the same building. The Smile Lab — the in-house ceramic and prosthetic laboratory under master ceramist Greg Karabasis — can fabricate that crown on site. Your care continues without navigating between multiple practices or waiting for specialists to communicate by correspondence.

The transition from endodontic treatment to restorative care is seamless here because comprehensive dental care under one roof isn't a marketing claim — it's how the practice is built.

Getting started – no referral required

You don't need a referral to access the specialist endodontic team at Smile Solutions. If you're experiencing tooth pain, sensitivity, swelling, or have been told you may need root canal treatment, you can reach out directly.

Start with a complimentary consultation with Dr Kia Pajouhesh, Smile Solutions' founding principal, who will assess your situation and connect you with the right specialist within the practice. It's an unhurried starting point and a good opportunity to have your questions answered before any treatment decisions are made.

Call 13 13 96 to book your complimentary consultation.

Location: Level 8, Collins Street Specialist Centre, Manchester Unity Building, Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.

Flexible payment options are available through Payright and TLC (Treatment Lending Company).

Endodontics at specialist scale

A team of four specialist endodontists, including a Professor, with dental microscopes, in-house CBCT imaging, and direct access to every other specialist discipline in Australian dentistry — all under one roof at Smile Solutions.

This is what root canal treatment looks like when it's taken seriously at the highest level.

If you're ready to take the next step, call 13 13 96 and book your complimentary consultation today.