Maintaining good oral health is important for your teeth and gums, as well as your overall health. For the most part, your dentist plays a significant role in helping you to maintain this. However, there may come a time when a specialist is necessary.

If you are dealing with an infection, disease, or injury that impacts the soft tissues inside the tooth, your dentist may refer you to an endodontist. 

What is an Endodontist? 

An endodontist is a dental specialist that has undergone additional training after graduating from dental school. This gives them the skills they need to treat and handle the soft tissues found inside the tooth in order to save it. In fact, the term endodontist itself comes from the Greek words for inside and tooth.

Treatments may be provided by an endodontist for issues such as: 

• Cracked, chipped, or broken teeth
• Infected teeth
• Abscesses
• Inflamed pulp

While root canal therapy is one of the most commonly performed procedures, understanding how to approach issues within the tooth - as well as how they happened in the first place - all become part of an endodontist’s skill set.  

Treatments Provided By an Endodontist

The ultimate goal of an endodontist is to save natural teeth. Although there are many different options available for artificial replacements, there is nothing as perfect as a real, natural tooth. So taking every step possible to save it is always the best choice. 

A few of the most common treatments they offer include: 

Root canal therapy: For decay that has made its way into the pulp area of the tooth, inflammation and infection can occur. This treatment allows the dentist to remove the pulp and clear out the infection before sealing it so that it may heal. 

Endodontic retreatment: Most teeth treated with root canal therapy are able to be healed without any further issues. Every now and then, pain and infection can reoccur and end up requiring a second root canal-type treatment known as endodontic retreatment. 

Endodontic surgery: Often referred to as apical surgery or an apicoectomy, endodontic surgery is required when the infection reaches down into the tip of the root where it meets the jaw bone. 

Pulpotomy: The pulp is located within the tooth and it can, for one reason or another, become infected. A pulpotomy removes the damaged part of the pulp and allows the healthy part to remain and heal within the sealed tooth.  

Cracked Teeth: Different types of dental trauma can lead to cracked teeth. Some cracks just require treatment for aesthetics whereas others will require more in-depth endodontic treatment - especially if the crack goes beyond the gum line. 

In all, tooth decay and dental trauma that impact the pulp of a tooth can be incredibly painful for patients. Using specialized equipment and treatments, endodontists are able to offer relief from this pain and provide an opportunity for healing. 

Endodontic Treatment in Temple, TX

If you are in need of an endodontic team of specialists, Heart of Texas Endodontics has you covered. With a strong focus on our patients and their overall experience, we use only the most advanced procedures and technologies to save teeth and provide full restorations. 

To learn more or to schedule a consultation, contact us today at 254-778-4400. Or, request an appointment online.