Endodontics

What Is Endodontics?

As a dental specialty, endodontics focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing infections and diseases in tooth pulp. This is the soft connective tissue in the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. When it sustains injury from trauma or disease, endodontic treatment is used to preserve as much of it as possible. An endodontist can even save tissues that sustain irreversible damage. Endodontics can also reduce symptoms and promote healing and repair from prior diseases and injuries.

Bacterial contamination of tooth pulp is the leading cause of infected root canals. Treating it involves removing the tissue that’s infected or damaged. It involves a nonsurgical operation referred to as a root canal. After the tissue removal, the tooth is cleaned and the canals reshaped. Then, a resin is used to fill the tooth so that it can heal and avoid further damage. If the therapy doesn’t succeed or new problems develop, more treatment by a root canal specialist in Annapolis is necessary.

How Are Endodontists Different from Dentists?

Doctors have the opportunity to focus on specialties within the medical fields in which they practice. In the dental field, dentists may choose endodontics as their specialty. To attain this title, they have to complete two or three more years of training. Then, they need to take an exam to be accepted to the American Board of Endodontics.

While regular dentists can perform endodontic therapies, they don’t have the same expertise that endodontists have. Because of that, they only do a couple of root canals per week and provide referrals to endodontists. By comparison, an endodontist in Annapolis may complete 25 or more procedures each week.

In addition, endodontists use materials and equipment that general dentists don’t. For instance, they use 3-D imaging and digital radiographs to improve diagnosis and treatment planning. During therapy, they use a small latex sheet to confine the diseased or infected tooth. This dam also protects your other teeth. The microscopes that they use during procedures prevent them from removing too much pulp or tooth structure too.

Furthermore, endodontists are experts at making you comfortable throughout the treatment process. Even if it’s usually difficult to keep your gums numb, they’ll have no problem keeping you comfortable. After your mouth heals from the procedure, you’ll be free of pain. Contact our Dental One Associates of Annapolis to learn more.

Endodontic Procedures: What Are They?

As part of our mission to be the best endodontist in Annapolis, we’ll schedule several follow-ups to make sure that your root canal was a success. However, you might need retreatment if your case was severe.

Retreatment involves taking out the resin filling that was previously used to seal the treated tooth to determine if there’s a new infection or hidden canals. The root canal process remains almost the same after that: removing damaged tissue, cleaning and disinfecting the area, and inserting a temporary filling. When you heal, we’ll set a crown on the tooth.

For especially difficult-to-treat cases, our endodontist will perform endodontic surgery to locate canals or small fractures that are well concealed. Surgery can also be used to treat damaged roots and tooth bone or to remove calcium deposits.

Endodontists are renowned for saving teeth, but it’s not possible every time. When that’s the case, they have to pull the teeth. For you to still have a healthy smile, our team can insert a dental implant in place of the extracted tooth. Ask us for more information.

What Should I Expect During the Specialist Visit?

Our objective is to make your treatment transparent, smooth and comfortable, and it starts with your first visit. To receive endodontics in Annapolis, our staff will need to collect some basic details about you, such as your referring dentist and contact information. We’ll give you some paperwork to fill out for this.

We would like to have current X-rays of your mouth if possible. If yours aren’t recent, we can take new ones. When we have a diagnosis for you, we’ll teach you about it and recommend the best treatments. Don’t hesitate to ask questions during this time. If possible, we’ll perform the treatment the same day. Otherwise, we’ll schedule an appointment that works for you.

Arrange an Endodontic Consultation at Dental One Associates of Annapolis Today

It’s essential to get dental care as soon as you feel pain or discomfort in or around a tooth. The problem could worsen if you wait. Dial (410) 793-4922 to make an appointment with our endodontist in Annapolis.