What’s the difference between a dentist and an endodontist?

Root canals in Atlanta are performed by Endodontists who are dentists that have completed two or more years or extensive training, after dental school.  Endodontists focus on diagnosing and treating tooth pain caused by infection or injuries to the interior of the tooth.  In most cases, an endodontist can relieve tooth pain by performing a root canal.

  • Endodontists Have Advanced Education – two or more years after graduating from dental school
  • Endodontists are Specialists in Root Canals – Endodontists limit their practice to endodontics, focusing exclusively on treatment of the pulp, or inside of the tooth. The average endodontist completes an average of 25 root canal treatments per week, while general or family dentists typically perform two per week.
  • Endodontists are Pain Management Experts – Endodontists are experts in administering numbing medications to stop the patient’s pain from being felt during the endodontic root canal treatment.
  • Endodontists use the latest in Technologies – Endodontists continually update their training, skills and technologies to treat patients using the safest and most advanced equipment and techniques. Endodontists have dental assistants that assist them in performing the dental surgeries or root canals.  Digital x-rays or radiographs and 3-D imaging allow endodontists to see the curvature and dept of a tooth’s roots and related infections. Dental operating microscopes are used to see inside the tooth and remove damaged, inflamed or infected tooth pulp.