What Is An Endodontist?

An endodontist is a dentist who has received an additional two to  three years of specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of  problems associated with the tooth pulp, which is the soft tissue  located inside the root canal. Endodontists are the specialists when it  comes to saving natural teeth through surgical and non-surgical root  canal procedures. They are able to treat difficult cases including  abscessed teeth and teeth with narrow or blocked canals.

Types of Endodontic Services:

Root Canal Therapy:  Root canal therapy is used to repair a tooth that has been damaged from either an injury or from decay.

Root Canal Retreatment:    In rare cases, a tooth may not heal properly after a root canal. This  can happen for a variety of reasons, including a delay in the placement  of a crown or restoration after the procedure. If you need root canal  retreatment, your dentist or endodontist will reopen the tooth, remove  any infection, and then seal it again.

Apicoectomy:  An  apicoectomy is a form of root canal surgery. It involves a root-end  resection that may be needed when inflammation or infection continues in  the bony area around the end of your tooth after a root canal  procedure. The endodontist will open the gum tissue to remove any  infected tissue at the tip of the root. The endodontist may place a  small filling in the root to seal it.

Apexification:  The  tip of the tooth root is called the apex. Because children’s permanent  teeth are still developing, the apex is still open. As the tooth  matures, the apex will close. However, an injury can cause the apex to  remain open, which can lead to an infection of the pulp inside the  tooth. Apexification is used in conjunction with root canal treatment  and creates a barrier at the tip of the root.

Apexogenesis:  If a  child’s permanent tooth is injured, an apexogensis procedure can help  the tooth continue growing while the pulp inside the root canal heals.  If apexogenesis is successful, the tip of the tooth roots will close  correctly as the tooth matures. If the procedure is not successful,  apexification may be necessary.

Endodontic Surgery:   Your endodontist may need to perform a surgical procedure in order to  find hidden root canals, treat damaged root surfaces, remove calcium  deposits in root canals, or address problems with the tip of the root.  An apicoectomy is an example of a surgical procedure.

Dental Implants:  If your tooth cannot be saved and  needs to be extracted, then you may want to consider a long-lasting  dental implant to replace it.

Perforation Repair:  A perforation is a hole in the  tooth, most often found in the root structure. It can occur naturally  or it can be caused by the necessity of removing excessive tooth  structure to eliminate decay while preparing for a root canal. Repairing  the perforation and then continuing with root canal therapy can often  save the tooth.