Endodontic treatment that protects your smile
Endodontic treatment removes infection inside the tooth to relieve pain and help prevent tooth loss. It saves the natural tooth and protects surrounding tissues from further damage.
Key Takeaways
Endodontic treatment removes infection and saves natural teeth.
Pain, swelling, sensitivity or deep decay are common signs.
Endodontists treat complex cases with advanced expertise.
Early care helps stop infection and protect your overall oral health.
What is endodontic treatment?
Endodontic treatment refers to procedures that treat the inside of the tooth. This includes the pulp, root canals, and surrounding tissues. The most common type of endodontic treatment is root canal therapy, which removes infected or damaged pulp to save the tooth and prevent future complications.
The main goals of endodontic treatment are to:
Relieve tooth pain
Remove infection
Preserve the natural tooth
Restore normal chewing and function
Without endodontic treatment, an infected tooth can continue to break down as bacteria spread to the tooth and surrounding structures, increasing the risk that the tooth will need to be removed. Saving your natural tooth is almost always the best option.
Do you need endodontic treatment?
Tooth pain is the most common sign something is wrong, but other symptoms can also indicate the need for a root canal or other endodontic procedure.
Common signs include:
Severe toothache, especially when chewing
Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold
Darkening or discoloration of a tooth
Swollen, tender, or red gums near a specific tooth
Jaw swelling or facial swelling
Deep tooth decay or large cavities close to the pulp
Painful pressure or a feeling of “throbbing” in the tooth
If you notice any of these symptoms, schedule a dental exam soon. Catching infection early helps prevent complications.
Key benefits of endodontic treatment
Saving your natural tooth helps prevent the need for extraction and replacement.
Eliminating the damaged or infected pulp helps relieve pain and clear infection.
Preventing bacterial spread protects surrounding teeth, gums and bone.
Restoring normal chewing and biting boosts everyday comfort and function.
Maintaining your natural tooth helps preserve jawbone structure and prevent bone loss.
Providing lasting results, properly restored teeth can often last a long time.
Avoiding tooth loss helps you avoid more complex and costly treatments.
Endodontic treatment options
Below are the primary types of endodontic treatments and what each one involves:
Root canal therapy
Root canal therapy is the most common endodontic treatment. It removes infected pulp, cleans the canals and seals the tooth to prevent reinfection, relieving pain and preserving the natural tooth.
Endodontic retreatment
A previously treated tooth can become reinfected from new decay, a missed canal or an incomplete seal. Endodontic retreatment cleans the canals again and reseals the tooth to eliminate infection.
Apicoectomy (root-end surgery)
When infection remains at the tip of a tooth’s root after a root canal, an apicoectomy may be needed. In this microsurgical procedure, the endodontist removes the infected root tip and tissue, then seals the root to prevent further infection.
Why choose Aspen Dental for endodontic services
Same-day procedure
We can help you get out of pain quickly with same-day emergency treatments.
Proven expertise
Aspen Dental endodontists have extensive training to diagnose and treat complex cases.
Care under one roof
Get specialty care in the same place as your general dentistry— all in one place with one care team.
Ease of mind
Take comfort with a smooth procedure and quicker recovery from our advanced technology.
Factors affecting cost of endodontic treatment
Tooth location
Severity of infection
Need for a crown after treatment
Whether a specialist performs the procedure
Diagnostic imaging requirements
Recovering after endodontic treatment
Here’s what you can expect during recovery:
Mild discomfort or sensitivity for 24–72 hours, especially when biting or chewing.
Tenderness around the gums near the treated tooth as inflammation subsides.
Most post-treatment soreness can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers.
Avoid chewing on the treated side until the final restoration is complete.
A follow-up visit completes the restoration for full strength and function.
Symptoms typically improve within a few days as the infection is removed and healing begins.
These expectations are general. Make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions during recovery.
Endodontic treatment FAQs
Is endodontic treatment painful?
With modern anesthesia and techniques, endodontic treatment is usually no more uncomfortable than a filling, and most patients feel relief right away.
How long does endodontic treatment take?
Most endodontic treatments are completed in one appointment lasting 60–90 minutes, though complex cases may require a second visit.
What does an endodontist do?
An endodontist specializes in diagnosing tooth pain and treating the pulp and root canals. They perform root canals and related procedures to remove infection, relieve pain and save natural teeth.
Is extraction better than endodontic treatment?
In most cases, saving the natural tooth is the better choice, as it functions more naturally and helps maintain jawbone health.