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 diagnosis and endodontic therapy, however, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat. 

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 anaesthetic will be given to freeze the area we are working on.  The endodontist removes the inflammed or infected pulp, carefully cleans and shapes the canal system and then seals the prepared space. 

Root canal treatment is necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected.  The most common reasons for inflammation or infection are deep cavities, repeated dental procedures, cracks or chips and trauma.

Once treatment is completed, you may be instructed to have a permanent restoration or crown. The permanent restoration is an important part of treatment because it seals the cleaned canals from the oral environment, protects the tooth and restores it to function.

It is important that patients understand why they require treatment, what treatment involves, and what they can do to ensure the best possible outcome.  

There are, of course, no guarantees.  Teeth which can be treated near ideal have a success rate up to ninety percent!  We will discuss with you the chances of success before any endodontic procedure to help you make an informed decision. 

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.

Pulp damage is sometimes caused by a blow to the mouth. 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. 

Once root canal therapy is completed, your tooth should be examined periodically, around every 12 months, at your regular dental check-ups.  This allows your dentist to make sure the tooth has healed or is healing properly.   

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.