What Is Endodontics?
Endodontics is the field of dentistry that specializes in the pulp and root of the tooth. Basically, the inside of the tooth. An endodontist is the dentist who would diagnose tooth pain and perform a root canal or other procedures.
An endodontist’s goal is to save the patient’s natural teeth whenever possible. They may assess dental injuries or simply diagnose tooth pain and take the necessary steps to alleviate discomfort.
A regular dentist may on occasion perform a root canal but an endodontist focuses their practice entirely on root canals and procedures related to the interior of teeth. For this reason they have received extra training, usually amounting to two or more years of schooling and more than likely belong to The American Association of Endodontists. The AAE is a resource more than ninety percent of endodontist’s use.
What does an endodontist do?
The most common procedure an endodontist performs is a root canal procedure. A regular dentist may perform these on occasion but an endodontist can average about twenty five a week.
Their advanced training and specialized technology can reduce the number of visits the procedure will require and shorten the recovery time of the patient.
Under the hard dental exterior, the tooth has pulp made up of nerves and blood vessels surrounded by tissue. The pulp itself is needed during tooth development but a fully developed tooth can live without it.
Cracked or chipped teeth or other trauma can sometimes expose the pulp to microbial bacteria, leading to infections inside the tooth. When this happens it causes pain and puts the tooth in danger. An endodontist can save a diseased tooth by doing a root canal procedure.
What is a root canal procedure?
The root canal procedure basically consists of a few relatively quick steps that can usually be done in just a couple visits.
- Numbing the area to reduce discomfort.
- Isolating the tooth using a dental dam.
- Removing the infected pulp.
- Injecting medicine and replacing the infected pulp with a rubbery filler.
- Placing a temporary filling while your tooth heals.
- Replacing the temporary filling with a permanent filling or crown.
There’s no doubt that endodontists are tooth-saving superheroes. They are also specialists in replanting knocked out teeth or reviving children’s developing teeth after an accident.
If you have more questions or would like to make an appointment feel free to contact us.
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