The Role of Endodontists in Root Canal Therapy

Introduction

Natural teeth are the nature’s best gift to maintain a happy and healthy smile along with proper chewing efficiency. This can be maintained by proper brushing twice a day, flossing daily and a 6-monthly regular follow up dental visits. Whenever there is a cavity or tooth decay, infection or any disease, an additional care may be required. Whenever possible, it is always advisable to consider saving a tooth back to its natural form and function rather than removing or replacing it. Pulling out or removing a tooth may seem to be an easier and budget friendly procedure, but it comes along with multiple consequences like shifting of opposing and adjacent teeth, derangements in chewing efficiency, effect on natural smile and above all, a higher cost and multiple dental visits.

Who is an Endodontist?

An endodontist is a dentist with an additional qualification and experience of two to three years in the field of an advanced speciality after completing the basic dental school for four years. They are trained for saving a natural tooth by treating deep cavities and diseases of pulp and its surrounding tissues. Advancements in materials, modern techniques, and effective anesthesia, root canal treatments done by an endodontist are usually a painless and less discomforting procedure as compared to extracting a tooth.

How can an endodontist save your tooth?

Whenever there is an inflammation or infection inside the tooth (the pulp) as a result of deep decay, repeated dental treatments, faulty crowns, or a crack or chip in the tooth. Dental trauma may also cause pulpal damage even if there is no visible cracks or chips. If a pulp infection or inflammation is left untreated, it can lead to pain and swelling.

The endodontist carefully removes the inflamed and infected pulp tissue and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and disinfected by maintaining its shape. This is followed by filling and sealing the root canals with a rubber like material called as gutta percha and restoring the tooth with a filling and crown so that it can function like any other tooth.

The endodontic treatment helps you to enjoy the foods you love and maintain your smile naturally. With proper care and regular dental follow ups, most teeth with root canal treatments can last a lifetime.

Difference between a General Dentist and an Endodontist

• Have advanced education
• Have specialized expertise
• Are experts in pain management
• Use cutting edge technologies

Steps in Root Canal Therapy

• Diagnosis of a pulpally involved tooth
• Use of local anesthesia and rubber dam isolation
• Removal of dental caries and establishment of cavity outline
• Access opening, and cleaning the pulp chamber
• Locating the root canals and working length determination
• Cleaning and disinfecting the root canals till the working length
• Shaping and filling the root canals using gutta percha
• Sealing the tooth with a filling and crown

Expectations after an Endodontic Procedure

Post treatment expectations depends upon the type and severity of the dental problem. Most of the treatments can be done on an outpatient basis. The excruciating pain due to a hot tooth causing worst pain score on a visual analog scale gets relieved to no pain just by starting the root canal treatment. Usually, there is a temporary numbness due to the anesthesia given during the procedure that subsides maximum within 2-3 hours. Most of the people can return to work on the same day.

Myths about Root Canal Treatment

• Causes unbearable pain: the pain gets relieved after removing the inflamed and infected pulp tissue.
• Just delays the extraction procedure: it helps to maintain the natural tooth to life time if taken proper care.
• Causes serious illness: it can be done under local anesthesia without hampering any day to day activity.
• Needed only in case of pain: pain is the symptom of advanced dental disease. So, it is not necessary that a tooth decay is left untreated unless painful.
• It removes root of the tooth: the root of the teeth is cleaned, disinfected and shaped to restore its normal form and function.

Final thoughts

Choosing between a general dentist and an endodontist isn’t much difficult, but it is crucially important. We find experts for all our needs and problems, be it finding a child specialist, lung and chest specialist, skin specialist, ENT specialist, then why not to find a root canal specialist who can treat in a much easier and faster way.
Clove dental clinics across India, is known for its specialist treatments. At clove, you can find a Root Canal Specialists (Endodontists) near to your home. Its never to late to decide upon the better options in life.
Don’t let your tooth suffer the decay, preserve your natural smile with root canal treatment, because what you do for your teeth today shapes your health tomorrow.