Tooth extraction is within the scope of endodontics, and one of the most common procedures performed by an endodontist is root canal treatment. This therapy removes inflamed or infected matter from the inside of a tooth, often to help prevent the patient from needing an extraction. However, there are cases where a dental problem extends beyond these internal spaces and a tooth also requires microsurgical treatments to save itself. If the pulp layer (dental nerve) of the tooth is damaged, diseased, or even dead, the only way to save the tooth is root canal treatment.
An endodontist will numb the tooth with local anesthesia and then create a small opening in the tooth, exposing the canals. High-tech imaging equipment and 3D imaging microscopes are used to guide them before microsurgery and ensure excellent visibility during surgery. After treatment, the tooth will receive a new crown or filling to strengthen it and it will resume normal function like any other tooth. Endodontists are best known for providing root canal treatments, but they also specialize in preserving teeth by performing related surgeries to help save diseased teeth.
General dentists have basic training in the problems that endodontists and oral surgeons treat, but they usually don't have the extensive knowledge that these specialists have gained through training and practice. If your circumstance is more complicated, your dentist will likely refer you to an endodontist for proper care. To help with operations on microscopic canals inside the tooth, endodontists use high-tech imaging equipment to guide them before microsurgery and use dental surgical microscopes during surgery to ensure excellent visibility. If you need root canal treatment from an endodontist you can trust, contact North Shore & Brookline Endodontics today at a location that works best for you.
