WE HEAR A LOT of the same questions from patients, so let’s wrap up the year by answering three of them.
#1: How are endodontists different from other dentists?
Endodontists are the specialists at dealing with diseases of the dental pulp at the center of our teeth. Only 3% of dentists undergo the additional years of study and training to become endodontists. Anyone who needs root canal therapy should take advantage of their expertise. Nobody else is better at saving teeth.
#2: What do we mean when we say we “save” teeth?
As advanced as modern prosthodontics have become, no replacement for a tooth is as good as the real thing, which is why it’s so important to save them. In the past, it was standard practice to pull a tooth if it was infected, but the field of orthodontics has made pulling teeth a last resort. In a root canal procedure, we remove the diseased dental pulp without having to remove the entire tooth.
#3: What are the warning signs that I might need root canal therapy?
The patient usually isn’t the one to make the call that it’s time for a root canal. Usually, they are referred to us by their general dentist. However, patients who need root canal therapy may be experiencing one or more of these symptoms: aching, throbbing, pressure, or temperature sensitivity in the problem tooth or swelling in the jaw or gums. A fractured tooth is also likely to need root canal therapy.
