Endondontics / Endodontic Specialists

Many dentists, as their career develops, choose to specialise in a particular area. This means that, as their skills become more specialist, they can move away from doing more of the day-to-day dentistry work and focus on more technically challenging, complex and lucrative cases.

Endodontics is an area of dentistry that focuses on the inner part of the tooth, otherwise known as the pulp. The inner pulp of the tooth is the sensitive area that contains the blood vessels and nerve endings. Therefore, if this area of the tooth becomes affected by decay, the tooth can be at risk and may need to be extracted.

What does the job involve?

When decay enters the pulp of the tooth, the danger is that the pulp can become infected and the tooth will therefore need to be removed. The role of the endodontist is to try to remove the pulp from the tooth, while still retaining the tooth. Even without the inner pulp, the tooth can still remain in place which means that the patient could continue to talk, chew, swallow and smile naturally.

The procedure to remove infected pulp from the tooth is usually known as root canal treatment or, in the dental profession, endodontics. Usually, if the pulp of a tooth is badly infected, a family dentist will refer the patient to a specialist endodontist who will drill into the tooth, remove the decay and the infected pulp, then refill the tooth with a neutral matter. Technically, the tooth has had its blood supply cut off. However, it remains embedded in the jaw. Therefore, the patient will usually return to their family dentist, have the tooth crowned and it will therefore function normally.

The specialism of endodontics is not limited to root canal treatment. However, it does focus solely on issues surrounding the pulp and the roots of the teeth. For example, a patient may be referred to a specialist endodontist if the roots of an avulsed tooth need to be replanted.

What qualifications do you need?

As with most specialist dental roles, you need to first qualify and register as a dentist. After this, you will need to study for a further two to four years to become a specialist endodontist.

What are the career prospects?

The career prospects for an endodontist are varied. Many work in private practices and tackle both private and NHS referrals. Others work in hospitals while there are also career opportunities in academia and university hospitals.
Endodontic work employs advanced technology that is constantly evolving. Therefore many endodontists find that that they are constantly refreshing their skills and knowledge throughout their career, and developing professionally so that they can maintain a high standard of care to their patients.