A generation ago, dentures and bridgework were all too common among U.S. seniors. Today, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are keeping their natural teeth longer. In part, seniors can thank endodontists, the dentists who specialize in performing root canal treatment and saving natural teeth.
Endodontists’ advanced training and access to cutting-edge technologies allow them to save older teeth that once were considered hopeless. As people age, the canals inside their teeth narrow, making tooth-saving procedures more difficult. Using new technologies, such as ultrasonics and operating microscopes, endodontists can locate even the smallest canals to remove inflamed pulp and nerves, and preserve natural teeth. Digital imaging, which is used in place of traditional X-rays to take pictures of teeth, is another tool that significantly increases endodontists’ ability to find the cause of pain in even the narrowest root canal.
“Endodontists are accustomed to working within a very small space,” says Dr. Marc Balson, D.D.S., president of the American Association of Endodontists. “Our...