Root canal treatment, one of the most feared dental procedures, is enjoying a more positive reputation among patients these days. If you, like many people, think a root canal means hours of anguish in your dentist’s chair, you’ll be pleased to learn that most root canal treatments now take less than an hour and can be virtually painless. The key to ensuring a positive experience is choosing the right professional to perform it.

Your dentist may be well qualified to handle uncomplicated root canals. For more challenging procedures, however, it may make more sense to visit an endodontist.

Endodontists are dentists who specialize in performing root canal treatments and relieving oral and facial pain. Following four years of dental school, they complete an additional two to three years of advanced training in endodontics, the science of treating problems with the tissue inside the tooth. On average, endodontists perform 25 root canal treatments each week. In contrast, general practitioners perform about two a week.

Endodontists have incorporated advanced technologies, such as digital imaging and operating microscopes, into root canal treatments, resulting in greater accuracy and virtually painless visits for their patients. These improvements, coupled with the endodontist’s expertise in administering local anesthesia, translate into a more positive patient experience.

A 2003 survey of root canal patients conducted by research firm L.C. Williams & Associates showed that the vast majority (85 percent) of individuals who had their root canals performed by endodontists would return to them for future procedures.

How should you decide if you need to visit an endodontist for your root canal? Ask your dentist. Dentists often send their patients to endodontists for root canal treatment, so it’s not unusual or inappropriate to ask if such a visit is warranted. A study conducted by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) showed that 97 percent of dentists refer patients to endodontists for root canal treatments and other endodontic procedures.

To find an endodontist in your area, either ask your dentist for a referral, or search for one online using the “Find an Endodontist” tool on the AAE Internet website at www.rootcanal specialists.org.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.