Understanding the Difference Between a Dentist and An Endodontist
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Many of us have received dental care, like a routine checkup, wisdom tooth removal, filling, or treatment for a toothache at a dental clinic or a hospital. Most of the time, a dentist provides care as per your dental issues. But there are many specializations in dentistry that help dental doctors become experts at what they do. If you have ever had a root canal treatment before, a general dentist or an endodontist might have performed it. If you’re now wondering, “Wait, aren’t they both called dentists?”, you’re probably right. But there are some differences between a dentist and an endodontist that you need to know to get proper dental care. This blog discusses exactly what makes a dentist different from an endodontist, so keep reading till the end to clear your doubts.
What is An Endodontics
Endodontics is one of the branches that focuses more on finding issues and treating the injuries and diseases inside the teeth, which have soft tissues (called dental pulp). So, a dentist who is highly skilled in identifying the cause of tooth pain and performing root canal treatment is known as an endodontist. They specialize in the field of endodontics to help treat and improve your infected teeth after any dental treatments, like a root canal.
Now that you know what are endodontics, let us understand the difference between a dentist and an endodontist.
Difference Between Dentist and Endodontics
Education
To become a dentist, aspiring professionals choose a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program at a dental school, which is a 5-year course. Graduates receive a degree after this education and are called dentists.
An endodontist also goes through the same 5-year degree to become a dentist. But they pursue 2 more years of training, which is in postgraduate endodontics, to become skilled endodontists. This way, they gain more experience and knowledge in treating dental cases, like toothaches due to infected tooth pulp.
Specific Skills
Let’s talk about dentists first. A dentist has the skills to perform various dental procedures, like crowns, dental implants, fillings, teeth cleanings, routine checkups, bridges, dentures, etc. If any patients have tooth pulp issues, they can consult a general dentist, but they get these cases only a few times a month.
An endodontist, however, is an expert in dental procedures that are related to the pulp (soft tissue) of the tooth’s root. These specialists are skilled at providing diagnoses and treatments for toothaches than compared to a dentist. Many times, dentists refer their patients to endodontists becuase of their specialty in handling root canal cases.
By this, it can be said that endodontists have more skills, but dentists are also skilled in providing various dental care.
Treatment Techniques
Now, let us understand the treatment techniques for dentist vs endodontist.
Treatments provided by an endodontist:
✦ Root canal
: If the dental pulp (soft tissue) under the tooth is damaged/infected, an endodontist performs root canal treatment to remove the pulp.✦ Treatment for traumatic injury
: Endodontists also handle dental trauma which affects the tooth and causes injury to the soft tissues.✦ Bleaching for discoloration
: After root canal treatment, sometimes tooth may become discoloured, so an endodontist performs tooth bleaching.✦ Apicoectomy
: For initially failed root canals, the treatment helps in preventing the progress of the infection by removing the tip of the tooth root.Treatments provided by a dentist:
✦ Dental fillings
: This prevents tooth decay from the buildup of bacteria and also protects surrounding teeth from getting infected.✦ Teeth cleaning
: A dentist performs teeth cleaning for a patient twice a year to remove plaque, cavities, etc., from the surface of the teeth.✦ Dental implants
: In case you lose your teeth for various reasons, a dentist uses dental implants to make them look like your real teeth.✦ Tooth extraction
: Removal of infected, crooked, damaged, or impacted teeth to make room for other teeth or prosthetic teeth.✦ Dentures, crowns, & bridges
: A dentist is skilled in placing dental caps (crowns) on dental implants, bridges, and dentures to replace missing teeth.Treatment Tools
Dentist: Burnishers, Digital X-Rays, Dental Probes, Scalers, Dental Drills, etc.
Endodontist: CT Scan, Digital X-Rays, Endodontic Microscope, Diagnostic Pulp Tester, Rotary Systems, and Obturation Delivery System.
Endodontist Vs Dentist: Whom Should I Visit?
Not all dentists are endodontists, but all endodontists are dentists. Less than 3% of dentists are endodontists. So, as per your specific dental needs, you can visit a general dentist or an specialist endodontist.
For teeth cleaning, teeth whitening, dental implants, bridges, dentures, tooth extractions, crowns (caps), and regular checkups, you can schedule an appointment with a general dentist.
For severe toothaches, swelling of the soft tissues in the tooth root, injuries to the tooth pulp, gum disease, tooth infection, etc., you can visit an endodontist who will treat the affected tooth and improve overall dental health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both general dentists and endodontists help patients in dental care, but they have very different areas of specialization that allows them to provide different treatments. With this guide, you can confidently make an appointment with a dentist or an endodontist based on your specific dental issues, like toothaches, plaque buildup, infections, or missing tooth.
If you are looking to get a root canal treatment or regular dental checkups, visit Whitefield Dental Clinic in Abu Dhabi. As the best dental clinic for root canal or regular dental procedure, we have skilled dentists and endodontists who make sure your dental needs are addressed with proper care and treatment.
