Can You Go To An General Dentist To Get A Root Canal Filled Or Do You Have To Go Another Dentist?

52 Comments

1. melissa h says:

   January 17, 2010 at 8:36 pm

   As a general dentist, it depends on certain factors.
   1. Age – The younger you are the more visible your canals will be to us both on the x-rays and intra orally. A 30 year old tooth will look very different vs a 55 year old tooth.
   2. Location – The further the tooth is from the front of the mouth, the less predictable the number of canals become. I’ve seen pictures of molars with 6 canals when “ideally” it should’ve had 3.
   3. Root morphology – Some canals look straight on the x-ray. Some canals look straight, but near the apex it makes a 90 degree bend. Sometimes the roots are so curved, it’s next to impossible to negotiate our instruments successfully past the curve.
   4. Patient’s mouth – I won’t even bother trying to do a root canal if the patient has any jaw opening problems/issues. Even worse is when it’s a tiny, tiny mouth and you can’t even fit the drill in the person’s mouth.
   5. Prognosis – As dentists we can do root canal treatments on ANY tooth. But we will ask ourselves if it’s practical. We can do a root canal treatment on a stump of a root 2mm in length. Though 2mm of a tooth isn’t viable to support anything, likewise, a wisdom tooth may not be the best tooth to do a root canal treatment since they are the most difficult teeth to keep clean.
   6. Decay – If the decay is so rampant, and cleaning it out leaves next to nothing, then it’s not worth doing.
   7. Time – Molar root canal treatments take longer than anterior root canal treatments. Sometimes even 2 visits. This may not appeal to some general dentists.
   8. Calcifications – The canal may have partially calcified due to continual trauma from the bacteria/decay. This makes finding the canals doubly difficult.
   So general dentists can do it, as long as they comfortable doing them. The easier more straight forward it is, the more predictable the outcome. If it looks difficult, we refer to an endodontist.
2. David S says:

   January 17, 2010 at 9:08 pm

   My dentist does some of the preliminary prep drilling work. Then he refers me to the endodontist/oral surgeon on a different day for it to be completed. You want a specialist since it involves the root. Good luck. They really aren’t as bad as everyone makes them out to be, jsut an uncomfortable hassle. If you feel anything say something–you shouldn’t!
3. Koala says:

   January 17, 2010 at 9:37 pm

   i’ve had 4 root canals. all done my general dentist. maybe depending on the serverity of the root canal, you would have to opt to a oral surgeon. good luck on the canal, it’s painful! but all worth it in the end. = D
4. .pretty- says:

   January 17, 2010 at 9:55 pm

   Root canal work is best done by a dentist who specializes in root canal dentistry – an endodontist. The cost is expensive, usually between $500-900.
5. norton g says:

   January 17, 2010 at 10:04 pm

   You can go to a general dentist or a specialist in root canals (which is all they do) an endodontist.
6. kcini8 says:

   January 17, 2010 at 10:44 pm

   My dentist has been a working dentist for 20+ years, so he does root canals. Some dentists will. If your dentist won’t, he/she will refer you to a specialist–an endodontist.
7. travelnu says:

   January 17, 2010 at 11:01 pm

   My brother just got his root canal filled yesterday actually. But yeah you have to go to another dentist. The general dentist will most likely refer you to them.
8. Katiee. says:

   January 17, 2010 at 11:46 pm

   You can go to a general dentist, my dentist is a general dentist and he did mine. Good luck!
9. Peeshee says:

   January 17, 2010 at 11:55 pm

   yes you can if they have the training, I had two done at once and it did not hurt at all , like I had heard it would.
10. valerie c says:

    January 18, 2010 at 12:04 am

    General dentist…
11. Ok? says:

    January 18, 2010 at 12:27 am

    Any dentist can do root canal treatment xxx
12. starlet1 says:

    January 18, 2010 at 12:56 am

    Had it done twice, once by an oral surgeon, once by my general dentist. Both of them were fine with no pain.
13. ronimg says:

    January 18, 2010 at 1:47 am

    It’s been my experience that any general dentist will be able to do root canal work. Good luck!
14. kitttyin says:

    January 18, 2010 at 2:36 am

    oral surgeon
15. Missie says:

    January 18, 2010 at 3:27 am

    endontist (or something like that).
    I JUST had one
16. marilyn M says:

    January 18, 2010 at 3:51 am

    I have had my general dentist to it. Oral surgeon’s can, but it might cost more.
17. nisa klinos says:

    February 5, 2010 at 1:45 am

    les algeriens des chiens, des enfants de putes, one thou tree mort a l’algerie, one thou tree, mort au polisario, one thou tree vive le maroc, merde pour les algeriens oula lakhab, les enculée de merde, mort a l’algerie, enfant de pute de merde
18. fancell reux says:

    February 16, 2010 at 12:45 am

    use logtable or calci
19. moharo tween says:

    February 16, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    Le Conseil d’Etat vient de suspendre l’application des décisions du conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel sur la nouvelle numérotation des chaînes. L’autorité de régulation avait récemment donné raison aux nouveaux entrants de la télévision numérique terrestre, dont le groupe NextRadioTv contre l’avis du groupe Canal+. Pour ces derniers les numéros de chaînes attribués par la convention signée avec le CSA, et qui prévalent sur la TNT doivent aussi désigner leurs place sur les autres bouquets. Le jugement du Conseil d’Etat promet une nouvelle et franche empoignade.
    – Confidentiel
20. brina says:

    March 10, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    west siiiiiiiddeeeee ))