Endodontic Treatment

You can have peace of mind knowing our team of specialized dentists in Colorado Springs have the knowledge and expertise to relieve your tooth pain quickly while preserving your natural smile and function with dental endodontic therapy and treatments.

Why Specialty
Endodontic Care?

Why Specialty Endodontic Care?

Unsure why your referring general dentist can’t treat your tooth pain? The complexity of your teeth may require more specialized treatment. Natural teeth are worth saving and no one is better equipped to do that than an endodontist.

With two to three years of specialty training beyond dental school, endodontists are highly skilled in diagnosing and treating tooth pain and performing various forms of root canal treatment with incredible precision. Utilizing the most advanced technologies available, we provide a thorough yet efficient endodontic treatment experience.

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry concerned with treating the inside (-endo) of the tooth (-dont), specifically the pulp tissue – or dental pulp. An endodontist removes the inflamed or infected tissue, carefully cleans and shapes the inside of the root canal, then fills and seals the space to promote healing of the surrounding tooth surfaces. Endodontic treatments aim to repair teeth instead of replacing them.

Not all tooth pain requires an endodontic dentist. That’s why we take the time to get to know you and diagnose the underlying cause to address your primary concern. After your endodontic evaluation, our root canal specialists will recommend the best course of treatment to retain your natural tooth. Find endodontic treatment near me at either our Colorado Springs or Pueblo locations today!

Dental endodontic therapy and treatment procedures are performed to relieve the pain of toothaches caused by inflammation or infection. Thanks to advances in root canal treatment and anesthetics, the majority of patients do not feel the procedures and the results are extremely effective. We emphasize comfort and customer service and offer relaxing amenities such as blankets, in-ceiling TVs, headphones and music during treatment. We also offer various sedation options to make your treatment pain-free and comfortable.

Conditions That Require Endodontic Treatment

Endodontists primarily focus on the nerves, blood vessels, and tissues inside each tooth, which they refer to as “tooth pulp”. They regularly service patients suffering from cracked teeth, dental trauma, and root canals. While root canal treatments can be treated in normal dental offices, endodontists use state-of-the-art equipment to treat your teeth on a microscopic level to eliminate all the bacteria causing infections. Endodontists see a much higher volume of root canal patients than typical dentists and attend two to three years more schooling to gain their accreditation. The biggest difference lies in their purpose: endodontists want to fix teeth instead of replacing them!

Further Root Canal Treatment or Endodontic Retreatment

Usually a tooth that has undergone a root canal can last a lifetime and never need further endodontic treatment. Occasionally, a previously treated tooth needs additional care at a later time. Your general dentist may refer you to our practice to repair root canals or root canal treatments that were previously completed. A cavity, decay, new tooth trauma, or a loose, cracked or broken filling or faulty crown can lead to a new inflammation or infection. With 3D cone beam CT (CBCT) x-ray imaging and use of endodontic microscopes, an endodontist may also discover additional very narrow or curved canal spaces not located or treated during the initial procedure.

If further root canal treatment is recommended for your tooth, our endodontists offer retreatment options to save your tooth, preventing the need for tooth extraction. No matter how effective modern artificial tooth replacements are – and they can be effective – nothing is as good as a natural tooth.

Endodontic retreatment can be completed through your tooth’’ crown or by directly treating the tip of the root or tooth apex via a microsurgical procedure commonly referred to as apicoectomy or root end resection. The aim is to remove your existing root canal filling material, examine and thoroughly clean any remaining spaces, and re-seal the inside tooth space to relieve your pain and fully restore your tooth function.

Different Types of Endodontic Treatment

Here at Endodontist Specialists, we’ll schedule an initial meeting to talk with you about your issues, take state-of-the-art 3D pictures to identify infected or swollen areas, and set up a date for your surgery. On the day of the surgery, procedures vary, but we always provide amenities to help you feel comfortable. We’ll numb the area being worked on, isolate the area using a dental dam to avoid sterility issues, and clean the area on a microscopic level with NASA approved tools to save your teeth instead of replacing them! Let us know if pain persists past the normal healing time.

Explanation of the most common endodontic procedures, including:

Root canal therapy: When the pulp of your teeth gets damaged from an injury, infection, crack, gingivitis, a gum infection, or repeated dental procedures, endodontists remove the infected or inflamed tissue from inside the tooth. After treating the area, your endodontist will fill the tooth and place a crown to protect it. After a few days, the tooth should feel no different than any other tooth and heal naturally, but if any sensitivity remains after the healing process, let your dentist know to check for any remaining issues.

Apicoectomy: Endodontists remove the apex, or tip, of a tooth’s root if it cannot be saved by normal root canal treatments. Since endodontists still want to save the natural tooth, they make an incision into your gums near the affected tooth’s root to remove the inflamed or infected tissue and clean it out. They also remove the tip of the root and seal it with a small filling before stitching up the gums they cut.

Pulp capping: Two different methods, direct and indirect, of pulp capping exist:

Direct Pulp Capping – With exposed pulp tissue, we isolate the affected tooth. Exposed pulp tissue bleeds, so once that bleeding stops, we clean and dry the tooth and apply a protective biocompatible material directly over it. It seals the area to let it heal, and we place another restoration on top of it to get it feeling normal again.

Indirect Pulp Capping – When decay isn’t causing symptoms (like pain), but hasn’t quite made it into the dentin (inner tooth material), we consider indirect pulp capping. Your endodontist will remove the majority of the dedicated tooth, and leave behind a small bit that covers the pulp tissue, adding a sealant and temporary filling to help remineralize the inner tooth material.

Six to eight months after the initial treatment, we remove the temporary treatment, and usually the dentin covering the pulp recovers. If all goes according to plan, we restore the tooth and keep it from needing to be removed. The treatment costs less than a root canal, but if the recovery does not take, a root canal will still be needed afterwards.

Pulpotomy: Baby teeth end up growing out and being replaced by their adult teeth, but cavities cause a lot of discomfort and should be removed before the bacteria spreads to other healthy teeth. When baby teeth become infected with cavities, we use pulpotomies to restore their infected baby teeth by removing the damaged and infected pulp and treating the remaining pulp with a special medication to avoid further infection before adding a filling or crown to cap it off.

Retreatment: If your first root canal treatment ends up hurting for longer than expected or the area becomes reinfected, you may need a retreatment. Sometimes a tooth continues to decay, or a crack or broken crown exposes the area to become reinfected. The endodontist will reimage your tooth to check for new infections or untreated canals, clean and reshape those canals, and then fill them again before sealing the pulp with a temporary filling that will need to be replaced by them or your dentist before adding a crown to seal it off.

Benefits of Each Procedure

Endodontists save teeth! The main focus of endodontic work aims to restore your original tooth without replacing it entirely. While infected teeth can and sometimes need to be removed, endodontists know that no replacements work as well as your natural teeth.

Root canals, apicoectomies, pulp capping, pulpotomies, and retreatment all save the patient’s original teeth. Modern anesthesiology makes the surgery mostly painless, and the mouth naturally heals quickly. Instead of ripping out problematic teeth, your endodontist will talk with you about the best options you have before scheduling a date to work on the affected areas. During the procedure, they maintain sterile conditions and work to remove infections on a microscopic level using state-of-the-art imaging and NASA grade tools while providing you amenities to keep you occupied and as comfortable as possible during the operation. Call our office to learn more about endodontic treatment costs today!

Learn How Endodontic Treatments Can Help

You do not need to live with tooth pain! Our endodontists use the latest treatment advancements, techniques and procedures to save your natural teeth and relieve your oral pain. If you’re in need of endodontic treatment performed by a root canal specialist, we can help. Contact us today to schedule your endodontic evaluation at our location in Pueblo or Colorado Springs.

Have any additional questions?
Give us a call.

Schedule Your Endodontic Consultation Today

Our endodontists specialize in relieving your tooth pain through root canal treatment, while saving your natural teeth.

We are here to help – contact us today to schedule your evaluation at our Colorado Springs or Pueblo location!

Endodontic Treatment

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Root Canal vs. Tooth Extraction
What is endodontic treatment?

Endodontic treatment procedures saves your natural teeth by treating them on a microscopic level. Think of your dentist as a general practitioner. When you need surgery, a general practitioner identifies your issues and sends you to a specialist to give you quick and effective treatments they cannot provide.

Why is endodontic treatment necessary?

While you can just replace a tooth, no materials work better than your natural tooth. Endodontic treatment procedures utilize advanced technology that allow them to analyze teeth individually and diagnose difficult symptoms and issues in a few short sessions. They also specialize in making the process as painless as possible during and after the surgery.

What are the signs and symptoms of needing endodontic treatment?

When you experience tooth pains for extended periods of time and your dentist cannot diagnose or treat the cause, they may recommend you to an endodontist. Since they specialize in root canals and tooth repair, these specialized dentists often do a more efficient job in less time than dentists who haven’t taken endodontic courses.

How long does endodontic treatment procedure take?

Endodontists often wrap up treatments in a single session. Pulp capping takes two sessions at least, and sometimes patients require retreatments after the original sessions if their teeth crack or get reinfected. Normal sessions last for around 30 minutes to an hour, but more extensive surgeries can last for 90 minutes or more.

Is endodontic treatment painful?

A large part of endodontic training focuses on making treatments as painless as possible. Your doctor will numb the area(s) they plan to work on before treatments, and they will prescribe you pain medicines after the procedure so that you can rest comfortably and heal. Many jobs can be finished in a single session that will save you time and energy since you get in, out, and done.

How can I prevent needing endodontic treatment in the future?
  • Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste after drinking or eating.
  • Brush at a 45 degree angle along the gumline on the inside and outside of your teeth.
  • Use the toothbrush tip to gently clean the inside surfaces of your front teeth.
  • Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months.
  • Floss at least once a day.
  • Rinse your mouth with a fluoride-based mouthwash once a day.
  • Make and attend regular dentist appointments every 6 to 12 months.
  • Drink tap water since the city adds fluoride to it.
  • Avoid snacking and sipping on sugary beverages and foods throughout the day since your mouth will create bacteria that destroys tooth enamel.
  • Eat vegetables and fruits and drink unsweetened beverages.
  • Avoid foods that get stuck in your teeth for long periods of time.
  • Get fluoride treatments if you avoid fluoride toothpastes and tap water.
  • Quit smoking since tobacco causes a lot of mouth-related issues.

Have any additional questions?
Give us a call.