Endodontics Specialist

What is endodontics?

Endodontics is a dental specialty that deals with the inside of your teeth, which contain your tooth pulp, nerves, tissues, and arterioles. Dentists who practice endodontics have to go through specialized training after dental school, which prepares them for complex procedures such as root canal therapy. Due to advances in modern dentistry, endodontists are now frequently able to repair and restore teeth with endodontic issues, allowing you to retain your natural teeth.

What is endodontic treatment?

Endodontic treatment is better known as root canal therapy and is a procedure by which your endodontic dentist removes infected or damaged pulp in order to salvage your tooth. Root canal therapy has an undue reputation as being very painful, but it’s actually the pain that necessitates the procedure, not the procedure itself, that hurts.

What causes damaged or infected tooth roots?

The main causes of inner tooth damage include:

Bacterial infection

Endodontic issues are most frequently caused by bacteria that seeps into the tooth’s interior through areas of decay or injury. When the root becomes infected, it swells, pressing against the nerves inside and causing a tremendous amount of pain.

Physical trauma

Physical damage to a tooth can sometimes compromise the integrity of its inner structures. A severe fracture or chip can expose the pulp, making it susceptible to infection, while a totally dislodged tooth might need to have pulp removal in order to save it after it is put back in its socket.

How do I know that I need endodontic treatment?

An infected or damaged tooth root can produce any number of the following symptoms.

• Increased sensitivity to hot and cold sensations
• Gum tenderness and inflammation
• Pain in your adjacent lymph nodes
• A discolored tooth
• Spontaneous pain in your teeth
• Pain when you chew or bite
  
  

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, schedule an appointment immediately with Cedarwood Pleasanton Dentistry.

How is root canal therapy done?

The skilled dentists at Cedarwood Pleasanton Dentistry can complete your root canal therapy in one to three office visits. First, your dentist takes X-rays of your teeth to use as a road map for the procedure. Next, they’ll administer a local anesthetic to numb your tooth and the surrounding tissues before placing a rubber protective sheet called a dental dam around your tooth to keep the area free of saliva during the procedure.

Your dentist then drills a small hole in the surface of your tooth and extracts the pulp within using a series of small handheld files. Because the extracted pulp is already decayed or dead, its removal is not painful.

Once all of the damaged pulp is out, they clean and disinfect the empty space before filling it with a rubbery compound called gutta-percha. The hole in your tooth will be sealed up with a temporary filling before a more permanent tooth restoration, like a crown, is applied.

If you continue to experience pain in your tooth after you’ve had a root canal procedure, you might come back in for an apicoectomy, a procedure where your dentist removes the very tip of the infected tooth’s root. It’s always preferable to salvage your natural tooth structure, if possible, and apicoectomies provide a great alternative to extractions for teeth that haven’t fully responded to a root canal procedure.

If you’re in need of endodontic treatment, don’t wait. Find relief today with the dental experts at Cedarwood Pleasanton Dentistry by calling the office or booking an appointment online.