What Is the Specialty of an Endodontist?

An endodontist is a dentist who has up to three years of additional training on diagnosing and treating tooth pain and other issues that affect teeth pulp. They make up less than three percent of all dentists. An endodontist is trained to perform all of the treatments dentists perform, and their additional training makes them better equipped at treating tooth pain and performing treatments that affect the pulp.

The most common reason people seek the services of an endodontist is root canal therapy. Endodontists spend most of their time performing this treatment, and it is used to save severely damaged or infected teeth.

How an endodontist saves teeth

Focusing on issues that affect teeth pulp allows endodontists to build up a wealth of experience in diagnosing and treating various issues that affect these soft tissues.

The term “pulp” refers to the nerves, connective tissues, and blood vessels in a tooth. The blood vessels supply the tooth with nutrients, while the nerve sends pain signals to the brain when a problem develops. A tooth’s blood vessels are essential during its development, but they are no longer needed once the tooth has fully erupted. From that point, the tooth can get all the nutrients it needs from surrounding teeth.

The pulp chamber is the innermost layer of a tooth, covered with dentin and enamel. Minor to moderate decay or damage often does not affect it, but severe damage can open the area up to bacteria and acids in the mouth. The soft tissues are irritated whenever acids or other debris in the mouth contact them, leading to excruciating toothaches. These tissues also become vulnerable to infection when bacteria in the mouth can reach them.

Some of the common reasons why a tooth might need endodontic treatment include:

• Severe tooth decay: Tooth decay often starts as a tiny cavity, but it will morph into something bigger if left untreated. Cavities tend to expand until they cause a tooth to break apart or open up its pulp chamber.
• Severe damage from trauma: A tooth might become severely damaged due to accidents like a slip or a hard blow to the face. Endodontic therapy might be needed if the damage reaches the pulp chamber. One of the signs a broken or fractured tooth has a compromised pulp chamber is blood coming out from the insides of a tooth. From the perspective of oral bacteria, a crack in a tooth is larger than the Grand Canyon.
• Infection: A tooth might become infected due to bacteria getting to the soft tissues in the pulp chamber. An infected tooth causes severe pain, and there is a risk the infection spreads to other parts of the body. For the most part, tooth infections are easy to treat, but they can be life-threatening if the infection spreads to other parts of the body.