Jason Kwok, DDS, was drawn to endodontics for two very different but complementary reasons: the opportunity to relieve patients’ pain and the technology that helps him do it. For Dr. Kwok, those elements represent both the responsibility and the excitement of practicing a specialty in which patients often arrive frightened, uncomfortable, and looking for immediate help.
“There are two reasons why I love endodontics,” Dr. Kwok says. “The instant gratification I get from getting patients out of pain and the ‘toys.’”
Originally from San Diego, California, Dr. Kwok graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine, with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in management. He subsequently earned his dental degree with honors from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, followed by a general practice residency at Harvard School of Dental Medicine. After practicing general dentistry for a year, he returned to UCSF for his endodontics residency, where he was selected as chief resident. He has also served as part-time endodontic faculty at the University of Connecticut and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
For all of his enthusiasm about education and technology, however, Dr. Kwok views the human dimension of endodontics as its greatest reward. Because endodontists frequently see patients on an emergency basis, they have an opportunity to make an immediate difference at a particularly vulnerable moment.
“We deal with situations where patients are in excruciating pain, who look to you as a beacon of hope,” he says. “I love that I get the opportunity to be that beacon of hope for patients. I love being able to save teeth. It’s as close to being a superhero as you’ll get.”
That responsibility also informs Dr. Kwok’s treatment philosophy. He places ethics above all other considerations and follows a simple principle: do good work and do what is best for the patient. More than a decade into his career, he says that approach has never steered him wrong.
“I try to put myself in each of my patients’ shoes and treat others how I want to be treated,” Dr. Kwok says. “I remind myself that attached to each tooth is a person. When we humanize each individual and stop looking at the tooth as just a tooth but rather treat the body as a whole, the right and ethical choice often presents itself to you.”
Technology, then, is not an end in itself. Dr. Kwok evaluates new equipment according to whether it can benefit patients while making his clinical workflow more efficient. Cost matters, but he says it never takes precedence over quality. A less expensive product that compromises performance or slows treatment can ultimately prove more costly to the practice.
Still, there is no disguising Dr. Kwok’s enthusiasm for his “toys.” He notes that endodontics has long been an early adopter of technologies ranging from CBCT and microscopes to ultrasonics, lasers, and bioceramics. “General dentists get to use their fancy toys too, spread out over multitudes of cases,” he says. “We endodontists get to use all the toys in every single case.”
One of the newest additions to Dr. Kwok’s armamentarium is the EdgePiezo ultrasonic scaler from EdgeEndo. Part of the company’s Power Suite of endodontic power equipment, EdgePiezo incorporates real-time frequency tracking, 10 adjustable power levels, a detachable LED handpiece, and a dual water supply system.
Ultrasonics were already an integral part of Dr. Kwok’s clinical workflow. He routinely uses the technology for troughing, post removal, retropreparation during apicoectomies, and gutta-percha removal during retreatment. He is also extending its use to bone resection during apicoectomies, taking advantage of piezo technology’s ability to cut hard tissue without affecting soft tissue.
As one of the early adopters to use EdgePiezo in clinical practice, his initial assessment is straightforward: “I love it. It does everything as advertised and even more.”
Dr. Kwok has used the unit for troughing to locate difficult canals, post removals exceeding 15 mm, retropreparations and root resections in apicoectomies, and gutta-percha removal in orthograde retreatments. One feature he particularly appreciates is the lightweight LED handpiece, which provides illumination directly at the treatment site.
“The handpiece is extremely lightweight and the LED light attached is bright,” he says. “It increases visibility in tiny accesses and lets me keep my minimally invasive principles.”
That visibility has clinical implications for Dr. Kwok. He explains that when optics and illumination were more limited, access preparations sometimes had to be enlarged to allow additional light into the pulp chamber. With illumination incorporated into the EdgePiezo handpiece, he says he can maintain smaller accesses and conserve more pericervical dentin.
Another significant difference for Dr. Kwok is the way EdgePiezo feels and sounds compared with traditional ultrasonic units. He describes conventional ultrasonics as producing noticeable chatter and a high-pitched sound. EdgePiezo’s real-time frequency tracking, by contrast, provides a quieter, smoother experience while maintaining stable cutting power.
“The tracking is so smooth that it makes you second guess if the unit is even working since it doesn’t make all the traditional noise and chatter the older ultrasonic units would make,” he says.
Dr. Kwok also values the ability to tailor the unit to different procedures. Adjustable power allows him to move from lower-power applications such as gutta-percha removal to the higher power required for post removal. The separate water supply permits wet or dry operation without requiring a dedicated water line and can accommodate different irrigating solutions.
“The versatility is unlike anything else on the market,” he says.
For Dr. Kwok, ergonomics are another practical consideration rather than simply a matter of comfort. He believes minimizing physical strain is important to career longevity, particularly given the musculoskeletal challenges dentists can encounter over years of practice. The unit’s compact, portable design and lightweight handpiece complement that priority while also allowing it to be moved easily between operatories.
Dr. Kwok’s experience with EdgeEndo extends beyond EdgePiezo. He says the company has been responsive to his needs as a clinician while offering products that balance quality and cost. “I have been in situations where cutting the cost means cutting quality, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that EdgeEndo takes no compromise in quality.”
Ultimately, Dr. Kwok believes adopting new technology requires clinicians to remain willing to reconsider familiar ways of working. Dentistry and medicine continue to evolve, he notes, and maintaining a high standard of care requires practitioners to evolve with them.
“Have an open mind,” Dr. Kwok says. “I know as dentists we find something we like and we stick to it. We become old dogs that can’t learn new tricks. But medicine and dentistry is ever-changing.”
For an endodontist who takes genuine delight in the newest “toys,” that willingness to embrace technology is grounded in something far more fundamental. Every instrument, technique, and investment ultimately serves the same purpose: helping the person attached to the tooth. For Dr. Kwok, EdgePiezo represents another tool for doing precisely that—combining technology and clinical expertise to relieve pain, preserve teeth, and provide patients with the compassionate care they are seeking when they place their trust in an endodontist.
Key Points
- Real-time frequency tracking is designed to provide consistent, optimal tip performance, while a waterproof touchscreen offers 10 power levels for precise adjustment.
- A dual water supply system provides irrigation flexibility, and the 700-mL water tank can accommodate solutions including sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, and saline.
- The detachable, autoclavable LED handpiece provides illumination at the treatment site, while the compact unit incorporates a 360° foot pedal and compatibility with multiple ultrasonic tip systems.
Figures and Images
EdgePiezo
Jason Kwok, DDS
