Endodontics: Root Canal Treatment

If you're experiencing tooth pain or sensitivity, have a large cavity, suspect a cracked tooth or suffered dental trauma, or your dentist recommended root canal treatment, you should see an endodontist who specializes in diagnosing and treating tooth pain.  Endodontists complete an additional two or more years of training beyond dental school. A commitment like this means less than 5% of dentists are endodontists. 

​

Endodontic Disease refers to infection or inflammation of the pulp of the tooth. When the pulp is injured, it may become inflamed (also called pulpitis) which may resolve, or may progress to pulp death (pulp necrosis). When the pulp dies, the tooth dies, and this makes it very susceptible to infection of the tooth roots.

​

You may have heard horror stories of how painful a root canal is, but that was decades ago, but with modern technology and anesthetics you won’t experience any more pain than if you went to have a cavity filled. The pain from a severe toothache, often caused by damaged tissues in the tooth, can be easily remedied when an endodontist removes the damaged tissue through root canal treatment. In addition, endodontists are experts in pain management, and most cases can be treated quickly and comfortably.

​

Saving your natural teeth, if possible, is always the best option. Nothing artificial can replace the look or function of a natural tooth so it’s important to always consider root canal treatment as an option. Even though Dr. Wang is also a periodontist who places dental implants, he always recommends saving a good tooth when possible before extracting it. 

 

Endodontic treatment has a high success rate and many root canal-treated teeth last a lifetime. Replacing an extracted tooth with a bridge or implant requires more time in treatment and may result in further procedures to neighboring teeth and supporting tissue.

​

If you are experiencing tooth pain, then come for an evaluation with K&W Dental, Dr. Howard H. Wang is an endodontist who specializes in alleviating pain with the newest techniques in endodontics.