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Keep your endodontist on speed dial for dental emergencies.
“What is endodontic dentistry?”
“What does an endodontist do?”
“How do I know if I need endodontic treatment?”
Got questions about endodontics? We’ve got answers! Here, we provide you with accurate information about this branch of dentistry. In the past, you may have learned to associate “endodontics” with “root canal.” Root canal therapy is one of the treatments that an endodontist utilizes that allows you to keep your tooth, but it is only one.
The Difference Between a Dentist and an Endodontist
All endodontists are dentists, but less than three percent of dentists have become endodontists. An endodontist completes three additional years of training after dental school. They are specialists in diagnosing tooth pain and performing procedures to save compromised teeth. Unlike a general dentist, endodontists don’t place fillings or clean teeth. They specialize in diagnosing and treating tooth pain, focusing exclusively on treatments of the dental pulp (the interior of the tooth, which is made up of living, connective tissue).
The Dentist You Call in an Emergency
Endodontists treat a variety of conditions to alleviate pain and bring healing to the teeth. Often, oral pain from a toothache or a cracked tooth can be hard to pinpoint. Due to the vast network of nerves in the mouth, it’s possible to feel pain in a part of your mouth that is not the site of the actual problem. An endodontist is specially trained to find and diagnose the source of your pan.
Endodontists also treat traumatic injuries, such as a blow to the mouth or a fractured tooth. When a child sustains a tooth injury before the permanent tooth has developed completely, the root can stop growing. A procedure known as apexification stimulates bone deposition at the root, making it possible to save the tooth through a root canal procedure.
An endodontist is also the person you call if your tooth has been knocked out. If replanted within a short time after the accident, the tooth has a chance of taking root again. Endodontic dentistry draws on advanced tools and highly specialized knowledge for this kind of procedure
Save Your Tooth (Call an Endodontist!)
Whether you’re suffering from dental abscess or trauma, an endodontist is often the best equipped of any dentist to handle a dental emergency. Many people associate root canal treatment with pain, but in reality, the pain is caused by the infection itself. The sooner you receive treatment, the better your chances of reducing pain.
Root canal therapy is necessary when the tooth pulp becomes infected or inflamed. If the pulp tissue were to die, the infection could spread into the bone surrounding the teeth. An endodontist performs a root canal to remove the infected pulp and filling the tooth so that it will not become infected again. Unlike extractions, root canal therapy is a way of retaining the tooth!
Call an Endodontist at Penn Dental Medicine
Penn Dental Medicine offers affordable access to endodontic dentistry and associated treatments. If you or a loved one have been suffering severe tooth pain or a pain that has steadily grown in intensity, do not ignore it. Prompt treatment from a qualified professional will help you to recover more quickly and have a better long-term outcome. To call for an endodontic appointment at PDM, please call our office at 215-898-8965 or fill out this short form to be contacted for a root canal evaluation.
