What is an Endodontist Doylestown, PA | Issues an Endodontist Treats (2024)

FAQs

What does an endodontist treat? ›

Highly trained endodontists (dental specialists) repair tissues inside your tooth. They diagnose and treat complex causes of tooth pain, such as tooth abscesses (infection). Endodontists perform root canal treatments and other procedures to relieve pain. They work to save your natural tooth.

Endodontists and general dentists both provide dental care but do different things. An endodontist is a specialist who focuses on performing root canals. While a dentist does multiple things, such as cleaning teeth, filling cavities and placing sealants, endodontists do one thing — treat tooth pain.

In addition to performing root canal treatments, an endodontist's other areas of expertise include treating broken teeth, tooth abscesses, and severe dental injuries, and performing apicoectomies, which include removing the tip of a tooth's roots surgically.

Severe cavities

For larger cavities, however, a filling is not sufficient to protect the tooth. In this case, the dentist will refer the person to an endodontist. This dentist has the knowledge and training to perform a root canal. Without timely intervention, the dentist may have to extract the tooth.

The specialized care an endodontist provides often allows for a more accurate diagnosis of tooth pain, sensitivity, and other common symptoms that affect the tooth root.

Root canal

This is the most common endodontic procedure and is typically done to save a tooth that would otherwise need to be removed. Root canal treatment is necessary when the pulp, which is the core layer of the tooth, or the canals holding the pulp becomes inflamed or infected.

For the first molar, it is the earliest permanent tooth that appears within the oral cavity and thus makes it highly vulnerable to caries. When it comes to the MB2 canal within the maxillary first molar, its complexity and positioning within the tooth make treating the root difficult for many endodontists.

Con – treatment might weaken the tooth

It is possible for a tooth to become weaker after a root canal. Dentists must drill through the tooth to get to the pulp, and additional decay might need to be removed. If the tooth is too weak to function, the dentist will add a crown to it.

Choosing an endodontist can save you money in the long run if you're dealing with a more severe case of damage or infection. The extra training the endodontist has often results in a higher fee per visit, but they may be able to take care of a root canal in a single visit that would take multiple visits to a dentist.

The GentleWave® Procedure is a minimally invasive alternative to standard root canal treatment. The innovative procedure utilizes Multisonic Ultracleaning® technology, which enables procedure fluids to reach through the entire root canal system,¹ providing efficient cleaning of the complex root canal anatomies.

How do you know if an endodontist is good? ›

Be sure the endodontist is up-to-date with the safest and most clinically sound technology available.) What medication and pain-relief options are offered? What is the cost of treatment, and do they accept your dental insurance or offer third-party financing options?

Direct Pulp Capping

Used to treat severe damage or decay on a tooth that exposes the pulp, this is the number one recommended alternative to root canal procedures by most doctors.

The endodontist controls a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide (otherwise known as "laughing gas") through a mask placed over your nose. The amount of sedation you receive can be adjusted instantaneously, and once the nitrous oxide is discontinued, the effect typically wears off quickly.

The most common procedure performed by endodontists is a root canal, which involves removing the damaged pulp from the tooth and filling the tooth back up with a rubber material known as gutta-percha. The tooth is then sealed and usually fitted with a dental crown to protect the vulnerable tooth from becoming damaged.

Other surgeries endodontists might perform include dividing a tooth in half, repairing an injured root, or even removing one or more roots. Your endodontist will be happy to discuss the specific type of surgery your tooth requires. In very complex cases, a procedure called intentional replantation may be performed.

During a root canal, Dr. Bridges will need to clean out the inside of your tooth and your root canals, removing any bacteria and decayed tissue. Therefore, molars, which can have as many as four roots, are typically more difficult than front teeth, which usually only have one.

Endodontists Have Specialized Expertise

They complete an average of 25 root canal treatments a week, while general dentists typically do two. Endodontists don't place fillings or clean teeth — they dedicate their time to diagnosing and treating tooth pain.

Unlike with the non-surgical root canal, the endodontist gets to the root of the tooth through a small incision in the gum. This route is taken to avoid destroying the restoration done during the original root canal and prevent weakening of the tooth.