Endodontics concerns on the inside of the tooth, meaning the dental pulp and tissues surrounding the roots of a tooth. Endodontic treatment is any treatment that focuses on the soft pulp tissue inside the tooth aimed at saving as much of the natural tooth as possible and preventing further damage. An endodontist is a dentist who has studied an additional two or three years after dental school to gain the necessary knowledge and experience to perform such specialized procedures.
Types of endodontic treatment include:
- root canal therapy
- endodontic surgery
- special procedures to save teeth after traumatic dental injury
An endodontist can preserve your natural smile by saving your tooth so that it continues to function as if nothing ever happened. If you are experiencing tooth pain or sensitivity, you suspect you have a cracked tooth, you have experienced dental trauma, or if your dentist recommended root canal therapy, you should see an endodontist as soon as possible.
We have one of the best endodontists in the area here at Northridge Dental Group, Dr. Ali Vaziri.
Three common myths about root canal therapy:
Myth 1: Root canals are painful – Decades ago, this may have been somewhat true, but with modern technology and anesthetics, you won’t experience any more pain than if you were having a cavity filled. The pain from a severe toothache, often caused by damaged tissues inside the tooth, can be easily eliminated when an endodontist removes the damaged tissue as part of a root canal procedure. Additionally, endodontists are pain management experts, and in most cases, a root canal is quick and virtually painless.
Myth 2: Root canal treatment causes illness – Information you may find on the Internet or elsewhere claiming that root canal treatment increases your chances of becoming ill or contracting a disease in the future simply is NOT true. This false claim was based on poorly designed research conducted nearly a century ago, long before modern medicine could trace the causes of many diseases, and it has long since been debunked. There is no valid, scientific evidence linking root canal therapy to disease elsewhere in the body.
Myth 3: It is better to pull a tooth than undergo root canal therapy – Saving your natural teeth is always the best option. Nothing artificial can replace the look or function of a natural tooth. If your dentist recommends root canal therapy, consider the benefits of the procedure over a tooth extraction. A root canal is a single treatment that preserves the structure of your natural tooth and restores its function. It has an extremely high success rate. Teeth that have undergone root canal therapy will last a lifetime with proper care. Tooth extraction is a riskier procedure and can be quite painful, requiring extensive healing time. Additionally, you’ll need to replace the extracted tooth or risk future oral health problems, which means more time in treatment and often involves compromising healthy teeth.
