Unbiased oral health information

Procedures

Endodontic treatment

Talk to your dentist about...

Only a dentist can diagnose or recommend treatment for your specific needs. Web-based research by a patient is no substitute for the extensive training and clinical experience of a dentist—but it can empower you to ask intelligent questions that can result in the best treatment for your unique needs. This page lists some things to keep in mind and offers some suggested questions you can ask your dentist about this topic.

  • Is the tooth requiring root canal treatment a restorable tooth? Not uncommonly in dentistry, heroics are attempted to save a tooth that may be better off being removed. Although it is difficult to learn that a tooth should be removed, an honest appraisal of the tooth's viability can avoid unnecessary expenditures if its prognosis is poor.
  • The most important reason for saving a tooth is to preserve the bone that holds it. Since bone preservation procedures are now routine, the loss of a tooth may have less of an impact to the remaining dentition if it will be replaced soon afterwards (e.g. with a fixed bridge or dental implant).
    Learn more: Procedures › Bone grafting
    Learn more about replacing lost teeth: Diagnoses › Edentulism
  • Will the tooth need to have other procedures, and if so, which ones? See "Disadvantages".
  • Do any other teeth need treatment, or may any soon need treatment? Not uncommonly, a patient will invest all of their dental dollars to save one tooth, and have none left over to restore (or even have preventive maintenance on) the others. Root canals should be prescribed as part of an overall treatment plan that involves preserving the affected tooth.
  • If your medical history includes either radiation treatment in the vicinity of the head and neck, use of bisphosphonate medications, use of blood thinners like those mentioned under "The Process", an "aspirin a day" regimen, alcohol consumption, steroid medications, and or/antibiotic treatments, discuss with your dentist whether any specific steps need to be taken either prior to, or following oral surgery procedures including bone grafting.
  • People in pain frequently do not make the most rational decisions. For example, severe toothaches sometimes cause them to request that the dentist "just take the tooth out." But the short term gain of the quick pain-relief solution is ultimately offset by the complications that can arise from the loss of a tooth—especially one in the middle of the dental arch.
    Learn more about complications of missing teeth: Diagnoses › Edentulism