If you need to have a root canal treatment done on a damaged tooth, you are not alone! Millions of people have a root canal done every year. Dentists who focus their work on a patient’s tooth pulp and the surrounding tissues are called endodontists. It means we take a look at your teeth, diagnose and then treat the problem.
What Endodontists Do
Endodontists watch problem teeth to keep dental diseases from affecting these parts of your tooth: the nerves, roots, pulp, blood vessels, or any other part of the inside of a tooth, along with the gums, too. As with root canals, we treat (and prevent) gingivitis or gum disease. For example, with patients dealing with diabetes, we can keep an eye out on your gums to make sure they don’t deteriorate because of the disease. We also replace severely damaged teeth with replacement teeth to restore your smile’s appearance and function.
Endodontic Training and Education
Doing all of this requires training and education. To become a practicing endodontist involves several steps:
– Earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
– Complete dental school by learning dental sciences and biomedical studies (like cell development, human dental anatomy, teeth cleaning, how to diagnose and treat patients, and more).
– Pass a written and clinical exam through the American Dental Association® to become a licensed Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or a DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry). Then become licensed and certified in the state or states where we want to practice. We may also attend continuing education courses or seminars to maintain our license.
– Finish a two-year endodontic specialty in residency training (with hands-on, clinical training) under board-certified endodontists. We learn how to diagnose and treat gum disease, traumatic tooth injuries, pediatric endodontic treatment, etc. It is followed by sitting and finishing our board certification.
– Board-certified endodontists go on to work in private or group practice, or at a dental clinic or hospital.
Why See an Endodontist
As a practicing endodontist, we dedicate our time to diagnosing and treating tooth pain. We find the cause of oral and facial pain and specialize in treating and managing pain. Our goal is to make sure your time in the chair is as comfortable as possible, including effective numbing of the area being treated and help you heal after you go home.
We also use the latest dental technology to treat your tooth. It can include a dental dam to protect the rest of your mouth while isolating the damaged tooth, digital radiographs, 3D imaging, and dental operating microscopes to help us fully see the root canals and infections.
If you need a root canal, we are here to save your teeth and keep your natural smile whenever possible. Our expert training and perfected techniques, along with the latest technologies, allows you to benefit from the highest quality care. We do this whether you are experiencing tooth pain or sensitivity, have been in an accident involving facial trauma or injury to teeth and gums.
We welcome you to reach out to our endodontic team if you have any questions or concerns. You can rest assured you are in excellent hands with our endodontic team!