Been Told You Need A Root Canal? 3 Reasons Your Local Endodontist Should Perform It

Your dentist has informed you that your painful and infected tooth needs a root canal. While your dentist is certainly capable of performing the procedure, there are three big reasons why you should seek treatment from a root canal specialist (known as an endodontist) instead.

You'll Only Need to Go Through the Procedure Once

The process of a root canal involves hollowing out the inside of your tooth. This means that all of the tooth pulp, nerves, and tissue must be extracted. These delicate parts of your tooth are housed in canals, of which there may be three or four.

Your dentist, who specializes in general dentistry, may miss one of these canals. If this happens, your infection won't go away because it still has tissue on which to thrive. Your tooth will also be quite painful. The worst part is that you'll have to undergo the procedure again so that the root canal can be completed properly.

An endodontist is the best choice for your root canal because he or she specializes in this area of expertise. In fact, according to aae.org, most endodontists perform as many as 25 of these procedures each week. They are skilled at uncovering every canal to ensure that you only need to go through the procedure once. Compare this to a general dentist, who may do two or less. Now ask yourself, whom do you want operating inside your mouth?

Less Painful Treatment Options

If you're like most people, you're dreading your root canal because you fear it will be painful. Although anesthetics can help eliminate your pain, they are no substitute for the latest technology that can make the procedure faster and less painful.

Because endodontists perform so many root canals, their offices are equipped with the latest in dental technology such as lasers. Lasers provide a faster, easier way to perform root canals because they:

  • have pinpoint precision- only the targeted area is eliminated
  • do not need to be inserted deep within the canals of the teeth- laser light can pulse through the canals, eliminating tissue easily
  • heat from the laser kills bacteria; it is quickly eradicated with little chance of regrowth or small amounts being left behind

You May Not Need a Root Canal at All

Did you know that it's possible you might not have to have a root canal at all? Your endodontist does. According to information gathered by webmd.com, most dentists are unaware that there is a viable alternative to a root canal.

In fact, up to 80% of root canals can be avoided by the use of a special nerve sealant. While the nerve of the tooth still needs to be cleaned to ensure no infection is present, the nerves, dental pulp, and tissues do not have to be removed. They are instead sealed off with a special liquid dental plastic that protects the nerve, eliminates pain, and hardens to help prevent future infections. With so many benefits, it only makes sense to have your root canal performed by the best oral specialist for the job, which is your local endodontist.

For more information, contact Maplewood Dental Associates, PA or a similar organization.

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