Endodontics (root canal)
Looking after the health of the soft tissues i𝔍nside your teeth.
Endodontics is a specialist type of dentistry that focuses on the soft p🍬ulp in the roots of your teeth.
This pulp is essential for the development of each tooth, and once the tooth is fully grown, the pulp tends to decrease in size. Normally, you won’t ever need to think about this so𝕴ft tissue in your tooth roots, but should it become inflamed or infected, your dentist m𓆉ay perform a root canal treatment.
That’s why endodontics is soꦑ often synonymous with root canals, and why it’s such an important part of dentistry in keeping your teeth healthy.
What is endodontics?
Endodontics involves looking at the soft tissue inside the tooth. This inclu🌳des the root of each tooth, the pulp inside the tooth, as well as the nerves aꦛnd surrounding tissue.
Id🐼eally, you’ll never have to think about this part of your tooth, but it is possible for these soft tissues to become infected, or even die off. When the pulp becomeꦺs infected like this, it is known as pulpitis, and some mild cases can be reversible with care and medication, but severe cases are irreversible.
When this happens, it can result in severe dental pain and sensitivity. You will likely notice very quickly and will need to make 🦩an immediate appointment with your dentist.
Usually, these infections occ🥃ur due to tooth decay and cavities. Normally, your dentist will give you a dental filling to repair these cavities, but if the decay is too close to the nerve, or goes into th🧸e nerve, further treatment may be required. Other causes include fractured teeth and injuries.
For cases of irreversible pulpitis (when the nerve of the tooth is irre🎉versibly inflamed from decay or♍ trauma), it is likely that your dentist will recommend a root canal treatment.
What is a root canal?
A root canal is the name of a treatment that repairs the damaged soft tissue inside a tooth. This soft tissue is k𒉰nown as the dental pulp, and is composed of connective tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. Together, this tissue helps the tooth to grow.
Sometimes, this tissue becomes damaged. It could be that the nerve dies, there is physical traum🎃a to the tooth,ဣ an old filling fails, or perhaps gum disease causes the damage. Whatever the reason, damage to this pulp can be extremely painful, so it is usually very obvious to the patient that something is wrong.
This treatment will remove the damaged pulp and replace it with dental fi♛lling. The good news is that the pulp is no longer꧅ necessary in adult teeth because it has already completed its task of helping that tooth to grow, however the filling will replace the pulp to retain the strength and health of the tooth.
What is an Endodontist?
An Endodontist is a dentist with additional skills and trai𝔉ning in endodontics. This means they know how to examine and treat problems relating to the soft tissues inside your tooth.
The majority of an Endodontist’s work involves performing root canals, where they remove the infected or dead soft tissue inside a tooth and replace it wiꦫth a permanent filler.
While a dentist may do the occasional root canal, amongst other work such as fillings and cleanings, an Endodontist will spend much more time doing root canals. They will often work on difficult cases where the cause of pain is difficult to ascertain, or where a root canal is𝔍 especially complicated or challenging.
To see an Endodontist, you will usual🌞ly need a referral🌳 from your general dentist.
What are the advantages of receiving endodontic treatment?
🎃T🍌here are multiple key benefits to receiving endodontic treatment such as a root canal:
- Remove the source of pain: When the pulp in your tooth becomes infected, it can be extremely painful. Having a root canal treatment removes the source of that pain.
- Save your natural tooth: Without a root canal, the infection in the soft tissue in your tooth can get worse, and you could lose your natural tooth.
- Avoid more invasive treatments: Despite its bad reputation, a root canal is akin to a large filling. However, without one, you may end up needing a dental implant or other tooth replacement procedure, which is more invasive than a simple root canal.
If your tooth is causing you pain, it’s important to have it checked by a dentist and determine the ‘root’ of 🔯the issue so you can fix it, maintain the heꦗalth of your teeth, and get back to living life to its fullest.
Get in touch with our friendly t🍸eam to schedule an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
A root canal treatment in Australia depends on a number of factors, such as how many canals the tooth has (one canal makes for a simpler and faster procedure than a tooth with four canals), and whཧether you need additional appointments or sedation.
You may also need to factor in the cost of gꦏetting a dental crown, as this is an im♑portant follow-up to most root canals and can add an additional cost.
If you need financial assistance for your treatment, we offer an exclusive interest-free payment plan called SmileFund. With SmileFund, you can undergo your denta🌳l treatment and pay it off over time.
Yes, absolutely. Anyone who knows th♕e pain of a soft tissue infection or the nerve dying inside the tooth knows just how worthwhi💛le a root canal is. Not only does this treatment rid you of what can be severe dental pain, it also prevents the infection spreading further, and helps to preserve your natural tooth and avoid further dental treatments that you would need to replace it.
A dentist and an Endodontist have the same basic training and skills, but an Endodontist specialise💝s in treatment of the soft tissues in the teeth. That’s why an Endodontist will often perform complicated root canal procedures or other treatments that involve the soft tissue in the tooth.
The most common procedure that an Endodontist performs is a root canal, but they can also fix cracked teeth, place dental implants🔜, do root canal re-treatments, root end surgeries, and anything else relating to the soft tissue inside your tooth.
Sometimes, your dentist may not have the additional training or knowledge they would need in ord🍰er to perform a treatment. This is most often the case for complicated root canal treatments, but your dentist may also send you to an Endodontist for other procedur♕es, such as fixing an old root canal or placing a dental implant.