When times are tough, folks yearn for the “good old days.” However, most of us wouldn’t really want to travel back in time for complex dental work. For endodontic procedures such as root canal therapy, patient outcomes and happiness have improved immensely, on the heels of improvements in technology and treatment techniques.

Here’s a brief list of just some ways  root canal therapy has gotten better over recent generations.

Advancements In Root Canal Therapy

1. Diagnostic imaging, for better treatment. When root canals were first performed, dentists didn’t have even basic imaging technology to guide their work. Today, treatments can be pinpointed with Cone Beam Computed Tomography, allowing endodontists a full 3-D view of your teeth.
2. Local anesthetics allow a comfortable treatment. The earliest root canal treatments happened before the advent of anesthesia. Today’s patients have largely pain-free experiences through local anesthetics. Further, if dental anxiety is an issue, sedation dentistry can provide a gentle solution.
3. Microsurgical tools allow precision canal cleaning and shaping. The first root-canal shaping tool was developed by Edwin Maynard in the mid-1800s, created from a watch spring. Today’s precise tools for cleaning and shaping infected root canals are developed task-specifically, continually refined, and always crafted with your teeth in mind.
4. New cleansing technologies ensure more complete treatment. Top endodontic practices now use the GentleWave Procedure, a root canal treatment that uses fluid dynamics to ensure superior canal cleaning. The result is a faster, less invasive root canal with minimal pain and rapid healing.
5. Restorations ensure root canal treatments remain successful. Early root canal treatments were not followed by the placement of restorations such as a permanent crown. This critical step has hugely enhanced the long-term success rate of root canals, allowing a properly cared for root canal treatment to often last a lifetime.

 At Phoenix Endodontic Group, practitioners use all our available advances to provide state-of-the-art treatment.

“When you enter one of our treatment rooms, every aspect of your root canal treatment has been evaluated and selected to provide you with the safest, most comfortable treatment possible. Our goal is preserving your natural teeth, so you can enjoy them for a lifetime,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, founder of the practice.

When you have an infected or injured tooth, your first priority is to stop the pain right-now-immediately-this-instant. Or possibly yesterday. If your dentist has recommended that you see an endodontist to have a root canal to repair your tooth, you may wonder why. If the dentist could do it, why is it better to see an endodontist?

Endodontists – who are dental specialists focused on saving your natural teeth – are the providers-of-choice to perform root canals. There are a host of reasons, but here are some advantages endodontists hold over general dentists when it comes to who’s better prepared to provide root canal treatment.

Endodontists Are Your Best Choice For Root Canal Therapy

1. Endodontists have extra training. After four years of dental school, endodontists complete an additional two years training, including practicing skills in a residency program, to receive their clinical certificate in endodontic dental medicine.
2. Endodontists have access to and experience with the latest technologies. Part of endodontic training focuses on using 3-D imaging technology, digital radiographs, dental operating microscopes, and other tools that make cleaning the tiny canals in your tooth roots easier.
3. Endodontists have more experience performing root canals. General dentists perform an average of two root canals per week. Endodontists perform an average of 25 root canals per week. That adds up to a lot more root canals!
4. Endodontists can handle unusual, complex, or challenging root canals. If the tooth that needs treatment has a complex root system, is strategically necessary to complete other dental work, or has other challenges outside the norm, an endodontist is the one to call. Chances are, they’ve seen a similar situation and been able to formulate an effective treatment plan.
5. Endodontists have other treatment options to preserve your natural teeth. If your root canal treatment is ultimately unsuccessful, an endodontist can provide a retreatment or an apicoectomy (treating the canals from the root-side of the tooth) to save the tooth.
6. Endodontists are specialists in pain management. Before, during, and after the root canal, your endodontist can provide suggestions and prescribe medication to relieve any minimal discomfort you may experience.

“Only three percent of all dentists become endodontists,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontics Group. “Our specialty training allows us to provide expert care for your root canal. Schedule your consultation today.”