Procedures

Endodontic Procedures in Lexington, Kentucky

Endodontic Procedures in Lexington, Kentucky

What is an Endodontist?

Endodontists are dentists who specialize in maintaining teeth through endodontic (root canal) therapy — procedures, involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth, called the pulp. The word “endodontic” comes from “endo” meaning inside and “odont” meaning tooth. Like many medical terms, it’s Greek. All dentists are trained in diagnosis and endodontic therapy; however, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat.

What is a Root Canal?

A local anesthetic will be given. A sheet of latex called the “rubber dam” (we’ve got non latex ones too) will be placed around the tooth to isolate it, hence keeping it clean and dry during treatment. The treatment consists of three to four basic steps, but the number of visits will depend on your particular case. Some treatments take two visits but most are just a single visit. 
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Diagnoses and Treats Pain

Oral pain such as toothaches or cracked teeth can often be difficult to pinpoint. Because of the vast network of nerves in the mouth, the pain of a damaged or diseased tooth often is felt in another tooth and/or in the head, neck, or ear. An endodontist is a specialist in diagnosing and treating this type of pain.

Treats Traumatic Injuries

Pulp damage is sometimes caused by trauma to the mouth, and the endodontist specializes in treating these injuries. For example, a hit to a child’s permanent tooth that is not fully developed can cause the root to stop growing. A procedure called apexification stimulates bone to be deposited at the end of the root which makes it possible to then save the tooth through a root canal procedure.

Additional Visits?

Once endodontic therapy is completed your tooth should be examined periodically, usually every 6 – 12 months by your general dentist. This allows us to make sure the tooth has healed or is healing properly.  Since an abscess may take 2 years to heal, our office will reevaluate the tooth for at least 2 years in certain cases.

Retreatment

Occasionally a tooth that has undergone endodontic treatment fails to heal, or pain continues despite therapy. Although rare, sometimes a tooth initially responds to root canal therapy but becomes painful or diseased months or years later. When either of these situations occur, the tooth often can be maintained with a second endodontic treatment.
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