ENDODONTIC FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common concerns, answered!
Contact us directly if you have any other questions.
What is an endodontist?
Endodontists are dentists who specialize in maintaining teeth through endodontic therapy—procedures, involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth, called the pulp. The word "endodontic" comes from "endo" meaning inside and "odont" meaning tooth. Like many medical terms, it's Greek. All dentists are trained in the diagnosis and endodontic therapy, however, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat. That’s why you may have been referred to an endodontic specialist.
In addition to dental school, endodontists receive two or more years of advanced education in this kind of treatment. They study root canal techniques and procedures in greater depth, for diagnosis and treatment of more difficult cases. For this reason, many dentists choose to refer their patients to endodontists.
What does an endodontist do?
Diagnoses and Treats Pain
Oral pain such as toothaches or cracked/fractured teeth can often be difficult to pinpoint. Because of the vast network of nerves in the mouth, the pain of a damaged or diseased tooth often is felt in another tooth and/or in the head, neck, or ear. An endodontist is a specialist in diagnosing and treating this type of pain.
Treats Traumatic Injuries
Pulp damage is sometimes caused by a blow to the mouth, and the endodontist specializes in treating these traumatic injuries. For example, a blow to a child's permanent tooth that is not fully developed can cause the root to stop growing. A procedure called apexification stimulates bone to be deposited at the end of the root which makes it possible to then save the tooth through a root canal procedure. An endodontist is specially trained in procedures for replanting teeth that have been knocked out of their sockets.
Retreatment
Occasionally a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment fails to heal or pain continues despite therapy. Although rare, sometimes a tooth initially responds to root canal therapy but becomes painful or diseased months or years later. When either of these situations occurs, the tooth often can be maintained with a second endodontic treatment.
Will treatment be painful?
We take every measure to ensure that your procedure is comfortable and painless. If treatment is needed, we will inject a small amount of anesthesia to gently numb a concentrated area of your mouth. For most patients, the feeling of numbness usually subsides after 2-3 hours.
Will I need a follow-up visit after my root canal treatment, or return for an additional visit?
Once endodontic therapy is complete, your tooth should be examined periodically, usually every 6 to 12 months. This allows us to make sure the tooth has healed and/or is healing properly. You will be contacted by our office if we feel it is appropriate to re-evaluate the area.
Occasionally a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment fails to heal, or pain continues despite therapy. Although rare, sometimes a tooth initially responds to root canal therapy but becomes painful or diseased months or years later. When either of these situations occurs, the tooth often can be maintained with a second endodontic treatment.
What happens during a root canal?
Root canal treatment consists of three or four basic steps, but the number of visits will depend on your particular case. Some treatments take 2 visits, but many are just a single visit. Occasionally 3 appointments are needed. In any case, it depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and the degree of treatment difficulty. At Wells Endodontics, we believe it's more important to do the best work possible, rather than meeting a specific time criteria.
First, a local anesthetic will be given. Once the area is numb, a sheet of latex* called the "rubber dam" will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, keeping it clean and dry during treatment. Next, we will make an opening in the crown of the tooth and clean the infected pulp out of the chamber. The chamber is then filled and a filling or temporary crown is placed on top to protect the area.
The procedure doesn’t take much longer than a filling, and you will be just as comfortable. The final crown will be restored by your general dentist.
*Non-latex option available