Endodontists are root canal specialist dentists. In other words, they specialize in the maintenance of teeth during endodontic therapy, that is, a procedure involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth called the pulp.

'Endodontic' is a Greek word, where 'endo' means inside and 'odont' means tooth.

All general dentists are trained to diagnose and treat a tooth requiring endodontic treatment; however, some teeth may be difficult to treat and are hence referred to an endodontist.

Endodontists undergo additional training in root canal procedures and treatment after completing their basic dental education. They are hence better equipped to treat difficult endodontic cases, and for this reason, many dentists refer their patients to endodontists.

The branch of endodontics offers different types of Endodontic treatments, which include:

• Root canal treatment: In a root canal procedure the endodontist removes the pulp, cleans and shapes the root canal, fills up the root canal with inert filling material, seals the crown area with a dental filling and finishes the treatment with a crown on top of the tooth.
• Pulpotomy: It is performed in primary or milk teeth in children when only the pulp chamber (the coronal or crown portion of the pulp) is infected. This procedure involves the removal of only inflamed pulp from the pulp chamber and sealing the remaining tooth, not touching the root area of the pulp. It differs from a root canal treatment as the root canal procedure involves the removal of the entire pulp from the coronal as well as the root portion of the tooth, whereas, a pulpotomy is less extensive not touching the pulp in the root of the tooth.
• Repeat root canal treatment: It may be needed in cases where a root canal was not properly performed the first-time causing pain, swelling, or discomfort to the patient. It may also be needed in cases of trauma to the tooth.
• Apicoectomy: It is a form of an endodontic surgery done on the root apex or root end of the tooth where the tip of the root is removed and the root end is filled with a biocompatible material. It is usually done in cases where the infection has spread into the bone area from the root canal of the tooth.

A root canal procedure is the most common type of treatment performed by endodontic specialists. A root canal treatment is needed when the pulp of the tooth is infected due to untreated tooth decay or a dental injury. This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia. It involves drilling the tooth to get access to the pulp chamber, removal of the infected pulp, cleaning and shaping of the root canals, replacing the pulp tissue by an inert filling material and sealing the tooth against reinfection. Root canal treatment is usually extremely effective in saving the natural tooth from extraction and may cause only a mild or absolutely no discomfort to the patient.

Endodontists generally take up cases referred to them by the general dentists, where there maybe some kind of complications making the treatment a little difficult.

Endodontists also routinely perform surgical procedures like apicoectomy, repeat root canal treatments, and/or dental trauma cases.

Endodontists are also skilled enough to diagnose whether a complicated case warrants an extraction of the tooth or saving the tooth by a root canal procedure is still a viable option.

With an increase in awareness about the importance f saving the natural tooth as far as possible an Endodontists contribution to dentistry is invaluable.