An endodontist is a dentist with two extra years of specialized training focused on diagnosing and treating pulp issues. The term “pulp” refers to the blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues housed inside a tooth’s pulp chamber.
Endodontists spend most of their time performing root canal therapy. Also called endodontic therapy, the procedure is used to save severely cracked, decayed, or damaged teeth. Damage to a tooth typically requires root canal treatment when it reaches the pulp chamber.
The pulp chamber is the innermost layer of the tooth, and it is protected by two layers: the dentin and enamel. Damage that only affects the enamel or dentin typically does not require the tooth to get a root canal.
Root canal treatment involves removing the soft tissues in a tooth. A tooth’s nerves and blood vessels are not essential once it has fully developed. A tooth can get all the nutrients that it needs from surrounding blood vessels. Removing the pulp protects the tooth against infection, and it stops any pain being caused by internal tissue damage. Common symptoms that indicate that a person needs root canal therapy include:
At times, a person might have interior tissue damage without any symptoms. In such cases, X-rays are used to examine the tooth’s internal structures.
Root canals have a bad reputation, but there is nothing to be worried about. Local anesthetics are typically used during the treatment, numbing the area being worked on. Most patients do not feel significant pain during the procedure, and the pain that brought them to the dentist is typically gone by the time that the anesthetic wears off. Here is what a root canal procedure looks like:
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Endodontist in Omaha, NE
A root canal enables you to avoid having to extract a tooth and replace it with an oral prosthetic. It can also treat terrible toothaches.
Are you noticing any of the symptoms discussed here? Give us a call or drop by our Omaha clinic to set up an appointment with our endodontist.
Request an appointment or call Advanced Endodontic Therapy at 402-506-7111 for an appointment in our Omaha office.
Many people are apprehensive about visiting the endodontist for treatment. This is reasonable because most people know what happens when they visit the dentist, but they do not often see the endodontist, which is enough to cause anxiety. It is also not helpful that there are so many myths surrounding endodontic therapy.The endodontist can make…
Going to see the endodontist may cause you to feel some anxiety and nervousness. This is normal, as many people are apprehensive about going to the dentist’s office. But you can take comfort to know that this dental professional has the knowledge and training to treat serious tooth pain. This includes chipped teeth. There are…
An endodontist can help to diagnose and treat tooth pain. Toothaches are your body’s way of letting you know something is wrong in your mouth. A minor toothache that goes away on its own is not something to be concerned about, but a toothache that keeps coming back is a clear sign a trip to…