Root Canals Are Complex Procedures

I have performed hundreds of root canals over the years. I can definitely admit they are complicated, detail-oriented procedures. That's because the internal anatomy of any tooth is like a maze. Think about the branches of a tree, and that's what the vital tissues of a root canal system look like. The image below is a micro-CT scan of the roots of a molar tooth. It illustrates the complexity of the root canal tissues. There are multiple microscopic openings (depicted with red dots) in the root canal that must be sealed.



The key to performing successful root canal therapy is cleaning, sterilizing, and sealing this intricate system from top to bottom. That way patients have the best odds of preventing reinfection or a recurrence of an abscess.

I still perform root canal therapy. But since 2010, I have decided to refer my patients with molar root canals to specialists who can successfully identify and treat these complex systems. I think it's important to give patients the best odds of success to maintain a molar tooth when a root canal is the treatment of choice. And just as importantly, the treatment time is significantly reduced when a specialist performs the procedure.