Do orthodontists do root canals?

Simple root canals can be performed by a general or family dentist. However, if the canal has a complex enough anatomy to make finding, navigating or accessing the root difficult, it may require the contact of an endodontist. Endodontists are specialist dentists who focus on dental pulp disorders and specialize in treatments such as root canals. Endodontists receive significantly more specialized training and have more years of experience.

An endodontist is also recommended for teeth with more than one channel, such as molars. By limiting their practice to endodontics, endodontists focus exclusively on dental pulp treatments. They complete an average of 25 root canal treatments per week, while general dentists usually do two. Endodontists don't place fillings or clean teeth, but instead spend their time diagnosing and treating tooth pain.

They are specialists who are experts in finding the cause of oral and facial pain that has been difficult to diagnose. Not only can you receive braces after a root canal, but you can also have a root canal done while wearing braces if needed. Braces are designed around the teeth that need to be moved and do not interfere with routine dental care. If they are on the road, the orthodontist can simply remove the orthodontic appliances temporarily until the root canal treatment is finished.

The orthodontist should make sure that the mouth has had enough time to heal after root canal surgery before starting treatment or making further adjustments. The general recommendation is between 1 and 2 months to ensure that your treatment will not inflame or irritate already sensitive gums. Once the tooth is considered to be healing properly and the root canal is considered successful, a permanent restoration (such as a dental filling, post, or crown) is placed. Fortunately, because root canal treatment only targets one tooth, simply removing the bracket from that tooth will give your dentist full access to fix the problem.

Sometimes, a temporary filling is placed in the hole used to access the root canals to allow time for healing. An orthodontist requires additional education as a dental specialty; the situation is similar to that of a doctor who gets additional education to become a surgeon. These tools may include digital x-rays taken during the cleaning phase, a vertex locator that functions as an electrical probe to locate the root tip, and a microscope that provides up to 32-fold magnification. Sometimes, people may think that their orthodontist replaces the function of their dentist, but that's not true.

Ideally, any existing dental condition, such as tooth decay, root canals, or gum disease, should be addressed and resolved before starting any type of orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment should not affect other dental work as long as the crown, veneer, or filling is safely intact and healthy, and provided that the orthodontist has the necessary skill and experience to manage your treatment. Once root canal treatment has been done, there should be no problem moving that tooth to where it needs to go. All dentists are trained to administer conventional root canal treatment, which involves the use of small hand files to remove infected pulp from the inside of the tooth.

A root canal treatment is a dental procedure used to remove diseased pulp tissue from the inside of a tooth.

Luke Hupe
Luke Hupe

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