Peter D. Cancellier, D.D.S., Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics

Peter Cancellier is a fifth generation Californian. He was born at St. Joseph''s Hospital in Orange, California. His mother''s great-grandfather came over the Oregon Trail from Scotland and settled in Oregon City, Butte, California in 1852.  His mother''s great-grandmother came around the horn from Germany, landed in San Francisco, and settled in Oroville.  The Cancellier name was changed from Cancellieri when his father''s father arrived in New York from Italy in 1905.  

Dr. Cancellier graduated from the University of the Pacific with degrees in Biology and Communications Arts.  He worked in the flower business in Cardiff, California with his father before entering dental school.  Dr. Cancellier obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in 1982.  He practiced general dentistry in Los Angeles with Thurston Ross and Guy Ho, a member of the USC Dental School Hall of Fame.

In 1988, Dr. Cancellier completed a two year residency in endodontics at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Long Beach, California. Since then he has practiced endodontics and taught endodontics.

Dr. Cancellier is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics. This certifies that he has demonstrated attainment of that level of diagnostic skill, clinical proficiency, and professional judgment that ensures the highest quality of care for his patients. Dr. Cancellier is a member of the American Association of Endodontists, American Dental Association, California Dental Association, an Honorary Member of the Warm Gutta Percha Study Club of Italy, an International Editor of the Giornale Italiano di Endodonzia, and Past President of the California State Association of Endodontists.

Dr. Cancellier is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry Advanced Endodontic Program. In his free time, Dr. Cancellier enjoys traveling with his family and he plays drums with an R & B band.

The surgical operating microscope offers increased magnification and illumination for all procedures.  Whether we are evaluating the outside surface of a tooth for a crack, locating miniscule root canals, removing a broken file from a root canal, or filling the root canal systems, the microscope benefits treatment.

Digital Radiography creates images that allow us to see the teeth enlarged. It uses much less radiation than conventional films. Varying the shades increases the opportunity for accurate results. It also makes the tooth bigger on the monitor. That reveals fine details easily missed without magnification of the image.

At Endodontics of Orange County we have a Cone Beam Computered Tomography unit. The three dimensional images often reveal whether teeth can be saved or not without resorting to drilling.

Cone Beam Micro-CT is available for more complete analysis of root canal systems and adjacent anatomy. For challenging cases, Dr. Cancellier uses this 3D imaging information to find canals, determine canal curvatures, and for choosing the appropriate treatment that serves the patient's health predictably.

January, 2011  It is with much sadness that I inform you of the loss of our mutual friend, Dr. Nina Nielsen. Nina passed away without warning January 15, 2011. She leaves behind her husband, daughter, and many friends. Dr. Nielsen held a special place in the Irvine dental community, providing endodontic care in the greater Irvine area since 1986, and she will be missed.

In order to offer her patients continuous care, Nina’s husband, Tom Smith, began an immediate search for an endodontist with comparable experience and a strong, patient-centered practice ethic. My name is Peter D. Cancellier and I am honored to be Dr. Nielsen’s successor at 33 Creek Road.