How Often Do Endodontists Perform Root Canals?

An endodontist spends most of their time performing root canals. Also known as endodontic therapy, the procedure involves removing the tooth’s pulp and using medication to treat any infection there. Endodontists have additional years of training focusing on diagnosing and treating tooth pulp issues, making them well suited for performing root canals.

How an endodontist saves teeth with root canals

Root canals are recommended for severe damage to a tooth and infections. A tooth can be badly damaged by untreated tooth decay or a hard blow to the face. Any injury that exposes a tooth’s pulp to the acids and bacteria in the mouth requires a root canal to save the tooth.

An endodontist is more equipped to perform the treatment than a general dentist since they are better equipped to deal with any complications that develop, like a complex canal system inside a tooth.

The process

Root canal therapy starts with the extent of the damage to the patient’s tooth being thoroughly examined. A visual examination and x-rays might be used to determine how much the tooth’s pulp has been affected by the injury.

If the pulp remains intact, there is no need to perform a root canal since the tooth can be treated by rebuilding it with a composite resin or placing a crown on it. If it turns out the affected tooth’s pulp chamber has been opened up, the patient’s main options are root canal therapy or having the tooth extracted.

Patients are injected with a shot of a local anesthetic at the start of endodontic therapy to numb the area being worked. This prevents the patient from feeling any pain as the dentist works on the tooth. A hole is made into the tooth with a dental drill, giving the dentist access to the soft tissues in the pulp chamber.

Dental files and other tools might be used to pull out these soft tissues from the chamber. Medication might be inserted inside the tooth to kill any bacteria there. The tooth is sealed with gutta-percha, and it might be covered up with a crown to protect what is left.

Root canals have a high success rate, and they often allow patients to keep the damaged tooth for the rest of their lives. In rare cases, the treated tooth might become reinfected after several months or years. An endodontist often performs endodontic retreatment to address such cases.

Recovery

Local anesthetics are used during root canals, so patients do not feel pain as the dentist works. They might experience some discomfort after the anesthetic wears off. The pain should go away within a few days. Patients should avoid eating while their mouth is still numb from the anesthetic to avoid biting into soft tissues like their tongue and cheeks. They should also avoid chewing hard foods with the treated tooth for a few days after the treatment.