Endodontist Dr. Joseph R. Cave heads the clinical team at 4033 Third Ave Suite 303, the Hillcrest endodontic referral practice he co-founded with Dr. Anthony P. Potente. General dentists such as Lawrence Addleson, DDS route complex root canal cases to Dr. Cave when a tooth requires specialist-level instrumentation rather than the basic endodontic care available at most family practices. His training and the office's surgical microscope let him address curved canals, retreatments, and traumatic dental injuries that fall outside the scope of routine general dentistry. Cracked-tooth diagnostics — tracing hairline fractures that don't show on bitewing X-rays — make up a large share of his consultation load and frequently lead to coordinated care with restorative offices such as Grand Legacy Dental for post-and-core buildups. The most demanding work in the chair is microsurgical retreatment of failed root canals where the original gutta-percha must be removed under magnification, the canal recleaned, and the apex sealed without perforating an already weakened root.