Q:
What is an endodontist?
A:
An endodontist is a root canal therapy specialist. After four years of dental school, two to three additional years of intensive training are required to become a root canal specialist. An endodontist does both routine and complicated root canal cases.
Q:
Is a root canal painful?
A:
Local anesthesia can make most teeth painless to treat. Between treatments, aspirin-strength medications usually work well. Occasionally, a dentist must write a prescription for a stronger pain reliever.
Q:
Despite a dentist's or endodontist's best efforts, don't some root canal therapies fail?
A:
Seldom. The odds for success are over 90%.
Q:
Isn't a root canal therapy quite expensive?
A:
It's not, considering the time, patience, and skill needed to perform it. In addition, the cost of root canal therapy is substantially less than the cost of replacing a lost tooth with a bridge or implant.