There are different types of dental treatments that can be used to maintain teeth health. Every dentist is trained to diagnose endodontic requirements, but sometimes you need an endodontist expert to perform the procedure.
Endodontics refers to treatments of the inner and soft tissues of the teeth: The pulp and the nerve. We treat patients from Beverly, MA, Peabody, MA and surrounding areas in our Danvers, MA practice for endodontic issues such as infection and inflammation of the inner tissues.
Endodontic procedures may also involve restorative treatments to repair or restore the shape and function of the tooth. But it is important to understand that while restorative treatments will focus on the outside of the tooth, an endodontist targets the inside of your tooth. Both treatments can be complementary in some cases.
If your dentist has suggested an endodontic treatment, you may be wondering where to get endodontic procedures and what can be done to save your teeth.
As mentioned, endodontic, from endo meaning inside and dontic meaning tooth, refers to dental procedures done to the tooth’s soft tissues. These tissues are not visible from the outside as they are protected by the tooth material. Yet, they can get infected or damaged.
Typically, your dentist will recommend endodontic procedures to save your tooth or teeth from traumatic injuries that affect the inner tissues, inflammation, or infection of the pulp and nerve. Endodontics is the area of dentistry that specializes in saving teeth, such as performing root canals and other treatments to enable patients to retain their teeth. Before the procedure, your dentist may recommend an x-ray for diagnosis and medication to reduce severe inflammation.
Typically, a patient will need endodontic procedures for a root canal to treat a deep cavity, issues from existing filling, or a cracked tooth. Symptoms include:
Pain while biting or chewing
Swollen or tender gums
Presence of suspicious pimples on the gums
Deep decay
Darkening of the gums
Lingering sensitivity to hot and cold
The endodontics procedures your dentist can discuss with you include:
Root canal treatment
Endodontic retreatment
Endodontic surgery
Dental implants
Root canal treatments and endodontic retreatment are procedures designed to remove bacteria from the root canal. It is a very common endodontic procedure that is performed regularly in our Peabody, MA practice to treat and save a damaged or diseased tooth. When the pulp is affected, you are likely to experience pain. The root canal procedure helps release the pain. If left untreated, the symptoms can worsen and lead to severe pain, abscess, and the risk of losing your tooth.
This endodontic procedure is performed under anesthesia and involves the removal of the infected pulp. Then your dentist cleans the root canals and fills them with a sealant. More root canal infections are treated within one appointment, but you may need further appointments depending on the severity of the infection. The treated tooth will be protected with a crown, using an impression of your teeth.
Retreatment may be necessary if the first root canal procedure didn’t get rid of the whole infected area.
In some cases, a patient may require surgical endodontics, performed by a trained surgeon under local anesthesia. The surgeon removes the infected area through an opening in the bone on the tip of the root.
Dental implants are endodontic procedures we recommend to preserve the health and strength of your natural teeth when you have already lost one tooth or more. A dental implant procedure can be time-demanding as it will require two interventions: First, to set the implant(s) and then to place the dental bridge. The recovery time after the first surgery can take several months.
