Endodontists are dentists who specialize in maintaining teeth through endodontic therapy -- procedures, involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth, called the pulp.  All dentists are trained in 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.

A local anesthetic will be given.  A rubber dam, similar to a small napkin, will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, hence keeping it clean and dry during treatment.  The treatment consists of three or four basic steps, and most cases can be completed in a single visit.  However, some cases may require two visits to complete the treatment. 

In any case, it depends on the degree of infection/inflammation and level of treatment difficulty.  To me, it's more important to do it the very best we can, than to meet a specific time criteria.  Patients should anticipate 60 to 90 minutes of treatment time per appointment.

There are, of course, no guarantees.  Root canals, or endodontic therapy, have a very high degree of success, up to 90 - 95%.  We will discuss with you the chances of success before any endodontic procedure to help you make an informed decision.  If a root canal is unsuccessful or fails, you still have alternative treatment options such as endodontic retreatment or endodontic surgery.

Oral pain such as toothaches or cracked/fractured teeth can often be difficult to diagnose.  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.

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 treating teeth that have been damaged through trauma.

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 occur, the tooth often can be maintained with a second endodontic treatment (endodontic retreatment).

In this procedure, the endodontist opens the gum tissue near the tooth to see the underlying bone and to remove any inflamed or infected tissue. The very end of the root is also removed.

A small filling may be placed in the root to seal the end of the root canal, and a few stitches or sutures are placed in the gingiva to help the tissue heal properly.

Over a period of months, the bone heals around the end of the root.