Endodontic treatments typically include more complex or invasive dental procedures that focus on the internal tissues of the teeth, including the nerves, blood vessels, and pulp of the teeth. Endodontists differ from dentists in that they do not provide general care or cleanings but will often be recommended by a dentist to patients who require advanced techniques to be used to treat the inside of the teeth. These treatments are often required in order to preserve the health and structure of natural teeth, preventing them from having to be extracted and replaced with dental implants. Endodontic treatments also include procedures that treat the root of the teeth as a means to further preserve the natural teeth.

Patients will typically schedule an appointment with a dentist if they are experiencing discomfort or pain within their teeth, specifically, if there is pain or tenderness when touching the teeth or chewing or sensitivity when consuming hot or cold foods or beverages. If patients are experiencing continuous pain following a dental appointment or just a professional dental cleaning, they will most likely be recommended to an endodontist. Other signs that you may need to visit an endodontist include drainage or swelling of the gums surrounding a tooth that is experiencing pain, as well as any discoloration or abnormal coloring of a specific tooth.

The most common sign of needing an endodontic treatment is pain within the tooth that cannot be treated through a straightforward cavity filling or professional cleaning. While many dentists can provide more in-depth care for complicated tooth problems, most dental offices will not have the capacity to provide treatments that are longer in duration or require surgical procedures, making a referral to an endodontist who performs these more complex procedures several times per day the better choice in these cases.

By far, the most common endodontic procedure is a root canal, with many endodontists performing just root canals multiple times a day. They are one of the most effective treatment options to remove infected or damaged tissues from within the tooth or the root of the tooth to allow the patient to safely keep their natural tooth. In almost every case, it is better to try to save the natural tooth rather than just allow it to get to a point where it requires extraction to alleviate pain and to remove the risk of the surrounding tissues and teeth from becoming infected. There are many more potential complications associated with having teeth extraction, along with much more expensive long-term treatments as it is vital that the surrounding teeth are unable to shift, and that the patient’s bite is not significantly affected and interfere with their ability to exist comfortably.

Other common procedures that are performed by endodontists include apicoectomies, which are similar to root canals but are completed through an incision through the gums to remove tissue within the roots of the tooth and repair significantly cracked or chipped teeth.

A root canal will often be required for patients who have developed an infection or significant decay within a tooth due to bacteria. This can occur if a deep cavity occurs and does not receive treatment before worsening, or if damage has been done to a tooth, leaving the pulp, nerves, or roots exposed such as in cases of a tooth crack, chip, or fracture. A root canal will be recommended for those who have such significant damage done to the tooth that they would otherwise require an extraction to prevent the bacteria from spreading to other teeth as well as to other parts of the mouth. If left untreated, infections that develop within a tooth could spread to other teeth, requiring treatment or eventually extraction to alleviate pain within all affected teeth, or can even spread to the jawbone causing significant damage.

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