Endodontist

The root canal system involves dental pulp and extends from the crown to the end of the root. Each tooth has only one root canal. Root canal therapy, also called endodontics, is a dental procedure used to treat infection at the tooth center. The infection is caused by bacteria that live in the mouth. It can happen after any damage to the teeth including tooth decay, and trauma leaky fillings.

Symptoms of a pulp infection include pain when chewing on the affected side, pain on eating or drinking hot or cold foods or drinks or teeth loosening. The symptoms usually regress as the pulp dies which indicates bacterial multiplication and spread of infection through the root canal system.

Further symptoms may appear such as oozing pus from the affected tooth, swollen face, darkening of the tooth color, swelling of the gum near the affected tooth and returning pain on chewing on the affected side.

Root canal treatment is needed when the whole root appears to be damaged by bacteria by x-rays. It is important to visit your endodontist as soon as you develop tooth pain to know the cause of the pain and fix it as pulp infection isn’t self-healing. An infected root canal can be done by removal of bacteria which can be done either by root canal treatment or tooth extraction.

The aftercare of any dental treatment is as important as the treatment itself. It plays an important role in the preservation of the treatment for the longest period. This is also applied in endodontics. Proper aftercare can keep the tooth that had root canal treatment for a long time, but if the tooth healed improperly, the pain would return months or years after treatment and the tooth would become diseased.

Improper healing can occur for the following reasons:

• Untreated narrow or curved canals.
• Undetected complicated canal anatomy.
• Delayed placement of the crown or other restoration after the endodontic treatment.
• Salivary contamination of the inside of the tooth.
• It is very important to visit a Bowtie Dental Studio endodontist in NYC to get root canal retreatment to preserve the natural tooth. The only alternative for endodontic retreatment is tooth extraction followed by an implant or any other tooth replacement method.

Root canal is a very delicate structure that needs specific equipment to be treated. Among the most commonly used techniques by endodontists to treat the infected root canal is microscopic endodontics. Microscopic endodontics use a microscope to magnify the root canal system several times to make the field clear, diagnose the defects in the tooth, extract the infected pulp and restore it with an organic substance called gutta-percha.

The advantages of microscopic endodontics include:

• Facilitates diagnosing infections in tiny canals because the calcified canals of the tooth are hard to be seen by naked eyes and need specific equipment to detect the infection.
• Decrease the chance of removing healthy tooth structures to make an access point.
• The bright & illuminated view provided with magnifying lenses helps detect fractured instruments lodged inside a tooth carelessly.

Apicoectomy also referred to as root end surgery is a dental procedure that’s done to save the teeth and prevent further complications. It involves the removal of the tip of the root of the tooth -which is called the apex- and the surrounding structures.

It’s usually done by the endodontist when the traditional root canal therapy is done yet there’s residual inflammation or infection near the root tip that reaches into the jawbone. It’s usually more invasive than traditional endodontics therefore it takes a longer time for recovery and is more painful.

Endodontic emergencies can be defined as any condition leading to an unscheduled visit to the endodontist associated with pain or swelling related to a pulp or periapical tissues and traumatic injuries that require immediate diagnosis and treatment. Endodontic emergencies can be classified into pre-treatment, intra-appointment and post-obturation emergencies.

Endodontists are dentists who are specialized in treating dental emergencies and trauma. They have advanced skills, techniques and technologies so that they can save injured teeth. If you are having a cracked or injured tooth, don’t wait, book your appointment or visit BowTie Dental Studio where you can find endodontists with tremendous flexibility in accommodating emergency cases, including weekends. This can relieve your pain and likely save your tooth, so act as quickly as possible.