An endodontist specializes in treating the inside of the tooth. Endodontics comes from the Greek words endo meaning “inside,” and odont meaning “tooth’. An endodontist specializes in performing:
- Root canal treatment
- Root canal re-treatment
- Endodontic surgery
- Treating traumatic dental injuries
This article will cover five reasons for you to choose an endodontist for your endodontic needs.
1. Training and Education
The first reason to see an endodontist is that they receive additional training.
An endodontist goes to school and becomes trained as a general dentist, then they do an additional 2-3 years to complete their certification as an endodontist. Endodontic students focus on diagnosing and treating tooth pain during their specialty training and management of pain and infection.
2. Experience
The second reason you should choose an endodontist for your root canal is experience. A general dentist does not perform as many root canals, while an endodontist routinely does root canals every day.
The more you do something, the better you get at it, so, naturally, an endodontist is more skilled at treating the inside of your tooth and performing root canals.
3. Advanced Technology
The third reason to choose an endodontist is as a specialist is that they have access to state-of-the-art technology for treating root canals.
At Modern Care Endodontics, we use operating microscopes, specialized instruments and digital imaging including CT scans. Operating microscopes are only taught in accredited endodontic specialty programs at the graduate level.
These advancements allow for endodontists to do treatments that were not previously possible and to treat at the higher level of care. Also at our offices here in Apple Valley and Lakeville, MN, we use Gentle Wave Technology. The GentleWave® Procedure is a minimally invasive alternative to standard root canal treatment.
It utilizes Multisonic Ultracleaning® technology. It uses sound waves and a stream of treatment fluid to remove the damaged tissue and bacteria thoroughly and painlessly. With this tool, we can reach through the entire root canal system. In other words, we achieve a thorough cleaning of the complex root canal system.
4. Tooth Preservation
The fourth reason is that endodontists are specialists in saving your teeth.
You might think of an endodontist only performing root canals. While these treatments are mainly what we do, we also handle root surgery, traumatic dental injuries and other tooth-related problems.
Our overall goal is to save your natural teeth whenever possible. An endodontist will always look at all treatment options to determine the best course of action for your specific needs. In many cases, we can save a damaged tooth with endodontic treatment.
When you save your natural teeth, they can last you a lifetime. Your natural teeth feel better and work better than artificial teeth, which is why we use all our knowledge and expertise to help you keep your natural teeth.
5. An Endodontist’s Expertise
The final reason to see an endodontist is expertise.
We can resolve root canal treatments that have failed or new problems that have developed after treatment. We call this root canal re-treatment.
When a dentist has difficulty with a root canal treatment or doesn’t know what to do, they will refer you to an endodontist. That doesn’t mean that they are not good at what they do, it just means that we are the experts and have additional training in our specific field.
Summary
As endodontists, we can handle any root canal and endodontic surgery. We work with you to locate the exact problem and, once discovered, apply our training and expertise to save your teeth.
We also take the extra time and effort to discuss and help you understand the rationale of our proposed treatment, including any alternatives. Knowing your options can help put your mind at ease.
Sincerely,
Dr. J.D. Simonton