Finding an Effective, Affordable Philadelphia Endodontist

Not all mouth pain is caused by a cavity. Sensitivity to hot and cold, or chronic pressure and pain in your jaws could be linked to tooth decay—but they could also indicate you need more than a filling. You may need endodontic treatment.

Who are endodontists? What dental health problems do they treat? And which endodontists in Philadelphia offer expert services at affordable rates? Read on for expert answers from Penn Dental Medicine (PDM).

Who Are Endodontists?

All endodontists are dentists. However, less than 3% of dentists are endodontists.

Endodontics is the dental specialty focused on treating dental pulp (the nerves, tissue, and blood vessels inside your teeth). Its goal is to save natural teeth after the pulp has become inflamed or infected.

Root canal therapy is a major part of endodontists’ work. In this procedure, an endodontist removes the infected pulp from the tooth, cleaning and shaping the canals to ensure all infection is gone.

Endodontists are root canal dentists—but also more. Other endodontic services include:

• Root canal retreatment, when teeth don’t respond to initial therapy.
• Endodontic surgery, when nonsurgical root canal treatment won’t be enough to save a tooth.
• Treatment for traumatic dental injuries, such as crown and root fractures.
• Vital pulp therapy (pulpotomy), the first step of root canal therapy, is often performed on its own to save children’s primary (baby) teeth.
• Regenerative pulp therapy, which replaces damaged pulp with viable pulp.
• Internal (nonvital) bleaching, to lighten discolored teeth after root canal therapy.

Dentists who practice endodontics have completed at least an additional two years of training in dental school so they can offer these highly specialized services.

How Do I Know if I Need Endodontic Services?

Your general dentist will refer you to an endodontist if you need endodontic treatment. But you should proactively pay attention to and take seriously any pain in your mouth. It may be the first indication you’ll need an endodontist’s services.

The American Association of Endodontists identifies several kinds of mouth pain of which you should be aware:

• Momentary sensitivity to heat or cold
  Mild tooth decay or a loose filling could cause this sensitivity. Brush your teeth with a gentle up-and-down motion to avoid aggravating them, or to avoid further loosening a filling. Schedule an appointment with your dentist if the sensitivity persists for several days.
• Sensitivity to heat or cold after dental treatment
  Slight, temporary inflammation after dental services is normal. If it continues after two to four weeks, however, you should notify your dentist, who can determine whether it indicates a more serious problem an endodontist can address.
• Sharp pain when biting down
  Tooth decay, loose fillings, or a cracked tooth could cause this pain. A general dentist can determine the cause, which could also be damaged pulp tissue inside the tooth. In that case, your dentist will refer you to an endodontist.
• Pain lasting longer than 30 seconds after heat or cold
  Long-lasting pain after hot or cold food or drink indicates irreversible damage to the pulp, caused by tooth decay or trauma. You will need root canal therapy to resolve the issue.
• Dull ache and pressure in the upper teeth and jaw
  Bruxism (teeth grinding) and sinus headaches can cause these sensations. But if they are chronic and severe, an endodontist should evaluate your mouth.
• Severe pain, constant pressure, and sensitive, swollen gums
  These symptoms point to an infection, which could rapidly cause more serious oral and overall health problems if left untreated. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help manage the pain, but contact an endodontist for an emergency appointment.

Find Your High-Quality, Low-Cost Endodontist at PDM

When mouth pain is only momentary or mild and isn’t interfering with your eating, drinking, or speaking, you might be tempted to ignore it. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be afraid of dentists, you might worry about how much treatment could cost.

But the cost of ignoring or unnecessarily delaying evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of your mouth pain could be far worse. When neglected, an oral infection can spread to other parts of your body—even, in rare cases, your brain. Tackling and treating the problem early can lead to far better outcomes.

Our team at PDM includes some of the most skilled endodontists in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. They’re closely supervising third- and fourth-year student dentists from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, using state-of-the-art equipment and the latest evidence-based techniques to save Philadelphians’ teeth.

In addition, the Philadelphia endodontists at PDM are affordable endodontists. Although endodontic treatments do cost more than routine dental care, at PDM, these procedures cost roughly half of what they do at private practices.

If you’re feeling constant oral pain, take it seriously. Schedule an appointment now with these Philadelphia root canal specialists online or by calling 215-898-8965.