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Getting to the Root of the Matter

Getting to the Root of the Matter

You might remember that famous grade school dental poster teaching you all about teeth. A large white tooth with a crown, two roots with a bit of a curve, and two perfectly matched root canals inside each root. And, often, a big smiling face on the happy enamel surface—and why not? That tooth is a simple, symmetrical marvel!

But, unfortunately, those grade school posters aren’t exactly the last word in dental anatomy. Real molars might have multiple root canals in each root. The root canals might be curved in odd ways. They might have tiny branches that lead out from the main canal. They might have tiny branches that lead out from the main canal that are curved in odd ways. It can get very complicated.

This complexity is why an endodontist, like the doctor, has spent two or more additional years of advanced training after dental school studying the diagnosis and treatment of the inner tooth. And when a root problem puts your tooth in danger of extraction, an endodontist is a specialist in saving at-risk teeth. What can the doctor do for a troublesome root?

  • Root Canal

Endodontists are specialists in root canal treatments. We have the education, experience, and tools to find, clean, shape, and fill complex root canal formations and tiny root canal branches.

  • Surgical Root Canal Treatment

When a regular root canal isn’t possible, we can still reach the root canals by approaching them surgically through the root rather than the crown.

  • Apicoectomy

For a tooth that has recurring problems even after a root canal, an apicoectomy (the removal of the root tip) and the cleaning and sealing of the affected root might be recommended.

  • Root Resection, Hemisection, and Bicuspidization (Bisection)

For molars with serious decay, fractures, infection, or surrounding bone loss, the doctor might suggest a surgical procedure which removes a single root (root resection), part of the tooth and root (hemisection) or divides the tooth and roots into two pieces (bicuspidization). These surgeries allow you to preserve as much of your natural molar as possible.

If a root problem is causing you pain, give our Gurnee, Illinois office a call. Because an endodontist is a specialist in saving teeth—and you deserve a poster-perfect smile!