Should a Dentist or Endodontist Do a Root Canal?

While this decision should be made with the guidance of your dentist, the choice between a general dentist and an endodontist for a root canal procedure is an important one. Endodontists are specialists who focus exclusively on dental pulp treatments, and they have two to three years of additional education in an advanced specialty program in endodontics after completing four years of dental school. By limiting their practice to endodontics, endodontists are experts in diagnosing and treating tooth pain, and they complete an average of 25 root canal treatments per week, while general dentists usually do two. When it comes to undergoing root canal treatment, the field of dentistry offers two options.

Your regular dentist can do the work on your teeth or a specialist. The formal term for a root canal specialist is “endodontist.” According to the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), while all endodontists are dentists, less than three percent of dentists are endodontists. Here are the differences between endodontists and general dentists to consider when choosing a provider. Endodontists have an efficient and established workflow for these procedures, and they use specialized techniques to ensure that patients are completely comfortable during their treatments.

Most endodontists offer flexible schedules to accommodate emergency patients who have severe pain or infection. When it comes to long-term success rates, the additional experience an endodontist can provide apparently provides a benefit. The long-term failure rate of molars treated by general dentists is relatively low (16%), while the rate for those treated by endodontists is even lower (11%). In addition to additional education, endodontists are more experienced, completing an average of 25 root canal treatments each week compared to regular dentists who typically perform two.

Endodontists can provide you with the care you need for specific conditions, such as surgery on the inside of the tooth or root canal therapy. Of the four types of teeth (incisors, canines, premolars, and molars), premolars and molars that need a root canal will generally be referred to an endodontist.