The difference between an endodontist and a dentist is a matter of expertise. Whereas all dentists are required to complete four years of dental school, endodontists take an additional two to three years of schooling in an advanced specialty endodontics program.

As such, endodontists are dentists with advanced education and expertise in performing endodontic procedures, which is the branch of dentistry concerned with the root and pulp of your teeth. The root of your teeth extends into the bone to hold your teeth in place, while the pulp of your teeth is a mass of soft, connective tissue that resides within the root canal in the center of your teeth. The pulp’s function is to supply nutrients to your teeth, protect them from potential dangers, produce dentin, and maintain blood flow to your teeth. With that in mind, endodontists often treat such conditions as tooth or pulp infections, tooth abscesses, severe tooth decay, gum disease, and more.

While general dentists can perform some endodontic procedures, they often refer patients to endodontists for such treatments, especially when the root or pulp issues are advanced. Endodontists have more significant experience and expertise in performing endodontic procedures and, not surprisingly, have a much higher treatment success rate overall. As such, if you are at all concerned about an unsuccessful endodontic treatment, it may be in your best interest to see an endodontist instead of a general dentist.

In general, you do not need a referral to see an endodontist. That said, depending on your insurance plan details, you may require a referral for endodontic services to be covered. As such, it is best to verify your insurance plan details regarding endodontic coverage and referrals before making an appointment to see an endodontist. If referrals are not necessary for you, our endodontists would be happy to see you at Ideal Endodontists.

Since root canals are an endodontic procedure, an endodontist would have more training and experience performing this procedure than a general dentist. While it is ultimately up to you concerning which dental professional you would like to see for a root canal treatment, your general dentist may end up referring you to an endodontist anyway, depending on the extent of the treatment that is required.

At Ideal Endodontics, our endodontists have the necessary expertise and training to perform a wide array of different procedures for our excellent patients. Some of these procedures include the following:

• Apicoectomy, which is a surgical procedure to remove inflamed or infected tissue near the root of the tooth, as well as the removal of the very end of the root. A filling is often placed in the root to seal the end of the root canal.
• Cracked teeth treatment
• Endodontic retreatment, when a tooth does not heal properly after an initial procedure
• Root canal surgery or therapy
• Treatment for traumatic dental injuries

For more information about the procedures that our endodontists provide at Ideal Endodontics, please feel free to contact us! We are conveniently located at 1145 19th Street NW, Suite 314 Washington, DC 20036. We serve patients from Washington DC, Arlington VA, Alexandria VA, Silver Spring MD, Bethesda MD, and surrounding areas.