Endodontics is a branch of dentistry recognized by the American Dental Association involving treatment of the pulp (root canal) and surrounding tissues of the tooth. When you look at your tooth in the mirror, what you see is the crown. The rest of the tooth, the portion hidden beneath the gum line, is called the root. Though the outer portion of the root is a hard tissue called dentin, the inside channel or "root canal" contains a pulp of soft tissue, blood vessels and nerves. Bacteria that are introduced into the pulp as a result of tooth decay, periodontal disease, tooth fracture or other problems, can severely damage the pulp. When that happens, an endodontic specialist removes the diseased pulp to save the tooth and prevent further infection and inflammation. After successful endodontic treatment, the tooth continues to perform normally.
No. While x-rays will be necessary during your endodontic treatment, we use an advanced non-film computerized system, called digital radiography, that produces radiation levels up to 90 percent lower than those of already low dose conventional dental x-ray machinery. These digital images can be optimized, archived, printed and sent to referring doctors via e-mail.
Even though your dentist may have already taken recent x-rays, in most cases we will still need to take our own images.
When your root canal therapy has been completed, a record of your treatment will be sent to your referring dentist. You should contact your referring dentists office for a follow-up restoration within a few weeks of completion at our office. Your restorative dentist will decide on what type of restoration is necessary to protect your tooth. It is normal to experience some discomfort after root canal therapy. In most cases it is mild and can be controlled with over- the-counter analgesics. Post-operative infections occasionally occur. This usually requires just an office visit and examination. Many times, prescribing an antibiotic will take care of the infection. Occasionally, other follow-up procedures will be needed.
We will take every measure to ensure that your procedure is as comfortable as possible. If treatment is needed, we will inject a small amount of anesthesia to gently numb a concentrated area of your mouth. For most patients, the feeling of numbness usually subsides after 2-3 hours.
Occasionally, we may recommend that patients return to the office either 6 months or 1 year after the procedure was finished, depending on the specific case. Our office will send a reminder notice to you when you are due for a recall appointment.