Do I Need a Specialist for a Root Canal?

Do I Need a Specialist for a Root Canal?

November 1, 2022

What would you do if you experienced severe pain in a specific tooth with lingering sensitivity to temperatures making it challenging for you to eat and drink with a dental abscess developing near the roots of that particular tooth? You would probably rush to your regular dental care provider for relief from the pain immediately to overcome the situation.

After taking x-rays of the tooth and inquiring about your symptoms, your dentist might suggest you need a root canal to eliminate an infection inside your tooth from an injury or an untreated cavity. They might recommend undergoing the treatment at their practice or refer you to a specialist performing root canals in the area.

Why Did My Dentist Refer Me?

All dentists receive training to perform root canals during their training in dental school. However, the education they receive is not specialized and doesn’t teach them the finer intricacies of performing this specialized process. Although your dentist might perform a couple of root canals every week, specialists called Endodontists exceed the numbers and practically perform several root canals daily. In addition, as you already have a dental abscess near the tooth’s roots, it indicates the results from the procedure can deliver better outcomes when a specialist performs it. Therefore, your dentist referred you to the specialist instead of executing the process themselves.

What Does an Endodontist Do?

Endodontists are dentists with additional training in identifying, diagnosing, preventing, and treating infections inside the tooth instead of merely treating visible conditions like tooth decay or gum disease.

After finishing four years of dental school, professionals specializing in endodontics continue education for another two to three years learning how to treat infections within the tooth. They are specialists in providing different treatments to eradicate dental pulp infections with the potential to cause tooth loss. In addition, Endodontists are also specialists in controlling pain to ensure they perform the painful root canal therapy painlessly by providing appropriate anesthesia and offering after-care instructions to help you recover quickly and without complications. Therefore if you receive a referral to the endodontist near you to treat your infected tooth, you must welcome the opportunity because you will receive treatment from a qualified specialist who will help you save your natural tooth.

What Can I Expect from an Endodontist for My Root Canal?

When you visit the endodontist for your root canal, expect the specialist to re-examine your tooth by taking x-rays and inquiring about your symptoms. The x-rays help the endodontist determine the severity of the damage affecting your tooth to create a treatment plan personalized for your situation. In addition, expect to discuss your apprehensions about root canal treatments and how the specialist will help manage your anxiety.

Dental anxiety affects everyone, and apprehensions about root canals can make patients try to avoid the treatment as best possible. However, Endodontists having received training in anxiety management help you by suggesting sedation and local anesthesia make you confident of not confronting any pain during your process.

Before scheduling your treatment root canal specialist near you will likely drain the dental abscess near the roots of your tooth and prescribe antibiotics to control the infection, and give you a date when you can have root canal therapy to eliminate the infection in your tooth. You also receive a prescription for sedatives to have an hour before your appointment to relax you during your procedure.

On your scheduled root canal day, you must take the sedatives as suggested by the specialist and arrive at the dental practice at the given time. After you arrive, you are escorted to the dentist’s chair and given local anesthesia in the mouth near the affected tooth. Local anesthesia and sedation ensure you think the specialist completed the procedure in a few minutes while it required over 90 minutes.

The endodontist drills your tooth to expose the infected dental pulp for removal and cleans and disinfects the canals before filling it with a temporary filler. After completing the treatment, you can return home with after-care instructions from the specialist to ensure you don’t rush to the emergency dentist in Largo because you experience pain and sensitivity in the tooth even after undergoing root canal therapy.

You will likely endure some discomfort from the treatment provided by the endodontist after the anesthesia wears off. You can expect the pain to remain with you for a couple of weeks until you recover. However, the specialist recommends pain relievers or prescribes them to help you manage your pain and avoid visiting the emergency dentist near you for relief. They also recommend that you have the tooth capped with a permanent filling or a dental crown after you recover from this intensive treatment.

After receiving endodontic therapy from Dr. Cecilia Sorelle and capping the tooth with a dental crown, you can expect relief from the pain and sensitivity and continue using the tooth as usual for many years.

Largo Dental One performs many root canal procedures on patients with injuries and untreated cavities to eradicate dental pulp infections. As you experience your symptoms, you find it beneficial to schedule your appointment with this practice to receive a root canal and preserve your natural tooth.

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