1. What is Endodontics?

Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the pulp tissue in the center of the tooth. Endodontic treatment is more commonly known as a "root canal treatment."


2. What are the signs of needing endodontic treatment?

There are many indications for endodontic treatment: Pain that does not go away, decay or a cavity that has reached the pulp tissue, the need to restore the tooth with a post under a crown, infection, and abscess are the most common reasons.


3. What Happens at an Endodontic Consultation?

At the consultation we will discuss why the tooth needs a root canal, what the treatment will entail, what will happen if the tooth goes untreated, other options and costs.


4. How does the dental pulp become damaged or infected?

The reasons are too numerous to list but a few are: a deep cavity, an infection or abscess, a deep filling, chemical damage and a restoration (filling or crown) that is left "high" in the bite.


5. Are pain pills and antibiotics an acceptable substitute for root canal?

No! The antibiotics will help with an infected nerve, but until the nerve is removed (the root canal treatment) there is a very high probability that the abscess will return. Pain pills will only mask the pain.


6. Are there alternative treatments for root canal?

It depends on why the tooth needs the root canal treatment. If the pulp tissue is irreversibly damaged requiring a root canal to be performed, an extraction would be an alternative. However, taking a tooth out may cause more problems and prove to be more costly in the long run.