What is an Endodontist?

It is not uncommon for people to seek out a dentist for an emergency tooth repair. Generally the damage to a tooth can be reversed by filling the cracked enamel or recreating the missing portions of the tooth. However, when the damage to the tooth goes beyond the outer portion of the tooth or the enamel to the inside of the tooth or tooth pulp special treatment may be required. If the inside of the tooth is infected or it is inflamed you may a root canal procedure, or an endodontic treatment.

Endodontic treatments can often be performed by your primary dentist but sometimes they may call for the expertise of an endodontist. An endodontist is a dentist that specializes in caring for the inside of the tooth primarily the tooth pulp, which is made up of nerve tissue and blood vessels.

An endodontist is different from a regular dentist because they must complete dental school that is four years long, but they also must also complete an additional two to three years of additional training, in the form of a residency. Many Endodontist are board certified in this field by the American Board of Endodontists.

During the basic training in that is provided in dental school, general dentists learn how to perform basic endodontic procedures. However, the more complex endodontic procedures require the additional expertise of an endodontist.

Your general dentist will examine your damaged tooth to figure out if the pulp of the tooth is infected or inflamed. If the damage to the tooth is extensive or the procedure required to properly fix the tooth is complex you may be referred to an endodontist to receive further treatment.

Molars are harder to treat than front teeth. When you need a root canal procedure, your endodontist, or primary dentist, removes the inflamed or infected pulp tissue from inside of the tooth. Then, they shape and clean the cavity inside the root of the tooth. Endodontists also perform other dental services including, the implantation of artificial teeth after the extraction of teeth. However, they specialize in the treatment of root canals.

Often infected teeth do not display obvious symptoms like, obvious pain. In this situation a dentist examine you for other symptoms or consult an endodontist for further diagnosis. Some endodontist have hospital privileges and they are often contacted to examine patients with dental or facial trauma. In these cases infections and inflammations of an exposed tooth pulp may require immediate treatment before any reconstructive work starts.

Many dentists to pursue an endodontic residency for the financial aspects involved in the career. When a dentist becomes an endodontist it extends the range of services that they can provide to their patients. Many patients like knowing that they can have all of their work done in one place, by one familiar doctor. Additionally, many endodontist make more money than a regular dentist because performing root canals garnishes more money than filling teeth. Many endodontists can charge more for their services because they have additional training in their field and that allows them to perform more complicated endodontic procedures.