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Dentistry If your dentist has said:
“I’d like to refer you to an endodontist,”
you may have left the appointment with a new question.
What exactly is an endodontist?
Perhaps you’re also wondering why your usual dentist can’t treat the tooth, whether this means something is seriously wrong or whether you’ll have to change dental practices.
The simple answer is:
An endodontist is a dentist who has undertaken recognised specialist training in diagnosing and treating problems involving the dental pulp and tissues surrounding the roots of teeth.
Root canal treatment is an important part of endodontics, but it isn’t the only treatment an endodontist provides.
You’ll often hear people use “root canal specialist” because it is easier to understand.
The formal dental discipline is endodontics.
In the UK, the word Specialist has a specific professional meaning.
The General Dental Council maintains Specialist Lists for recognised dental specialties. Dentists may describe themselves as specialists in a particular discipline only when they are included on the relevant Specialist List.
At Evolve Dentistry, specialist endodontic care is provided by:
Specialist Endodontist
GDC no. 244328
No.
This is important.
General dentists routinely provide root canal treatment.
Being told that you need a root canal does not automatically mean you need specialist treatment.
Your dentist might suggest seeing an endodontist when they consider specialist assessment or treatment appropriate for a particular tooth or situation.
There isn’t one single reason.
Some teeth are simply more complex than others.
Referral might be considered where there is:
Your dentist should explain why they are recommending referral in your particular case.
No.
Referral is a normal part of healthcare.
Different clinicians have different scopes of practice, training and areas in which they concentrate their work.
A dentist recommending specialist assessment is making a clinical decision about the care they consider appropriate.
At Evolve, we are careful not to position specialist endodontic care as “better dentistry” or suggest that every root canal should be carried out by a specialist.
The question is simply:
What is appropriate for this tooth?
At Evolve, yes.
Alex accepts both:
Dentist referrals
and
Self-referrals
So if you’ve been told you need root canal treatment and would like a specialist assessment, you can contact Evolve directly.
You don’t need to ask another dentist to write a referral before speaking to us.
No.
This is particularly important for patients who already have a dentist they know and trust.
You can come to Evolve specifically for specialist endodontic assessment or treatment.
You can then continue your routine dental care with your existing dentist.
Where appropriate and with your consent, we’ll communicate with your dentist so that everyone understands what treatment has been provided and what needs to happen next.
Alex accepts patients for:
Treatment of the root canal system where the dental pulp has become inflamed, infected or damaged.
Further treatment of a tooth that has previously undergone root canal treatment.
Removal of existing components where necessary to gain access during endodontic treatment.
Assessment and management of certain unwanted communications between the root canal system and surrounding tissues.
A surgical endodontic approach involving the end of a tooth root, considered in selected circumstances.
Assessment and management of processes that result in loss of tooth structure.
You don’t need to work out which of these you need before contacting us.
That’s what assessment is for.
The first aim is to understand the problem.
Alex will review the relevant history, assess the tooth and consider any existing X-rays or other information available.
Further investigations may sometimes be required.
He can then discuss:
The consultation isn’t a commitment to proceed with treatment.
It is an opportunity to understand the problem and your options.
Not automatically.
CBCT imaging can provide a three-dimensional view of a tooth and surrounding structures.
This can sometimes provide useful additional information in more complex endodontic cases.
Alex will recommend a CBCT scan where he considers the additional information clinically useful.
Having an endodontic consultation does not mean you automatically need one.
The structures within teeth can be extremely small.
A dental operating microscope provides magnification and illumination, helping Alex see and work within the tooth.
Alex carries out his endodontic treatment using a microscope.
This can be particularly useful in complex treatment and retreatment.
It is important, though, not to confuse technology with a guarantee.
A microscope is a clinical tool. It cannot guarantee that every tooth can be treated or retained.
That is a possible outcome of specialist assessment.
Seeing an endodontist does not mean root canal treatment will automatically be recommended.
After assessment, Alex may conclude that:
A useful specialist opinion is still useful when the answer is:
“I don’t think further root canal treatment is the right option.”
Specialist endodontic consultation – £x
If treatment is recommended, we’ll explain the relevant fees before you decide whether you would like to proceed.
There is no obligation to have treatment simply because you’ve attended an assessment.
Reality: Root canal treatment is an important part of endodontics, but specialist endodontic care can also include retreatment, endodontic surgery and management of other problems affecting teeth and their roots.
Reality: You can receive specialist endodontic care and then continue your normal dental care with your usual dentist.
Reality: No clinician can guarantee that every tooth can be successfully treated or retained.
Reality: At Evolve, you can self-refer directly to Alex.
An endodontist is a dentist who has undertaken further recognised specialist training in endodontics and is registered as a specialist in that discipline. General dentists can and do provide root canal treatment.
Depending on your treatment plan, yes. If you’ve been referred by your own dentist, we’ll agree an appropriate plan for what happens after the endodontic treatment.
This service is designed so that patients can see Alex specifically for specialist endodontic care. If you already have a dentist, there is no expectation that you transfer your routine care.
Yes. Evolve accepts self-referrals for specialist endodontic assessment.
Not necessarily. Specialist assessment may be recommended for many different reasons, including complexity, previous treatment or diagnostic uncertainty.
You don’t need to know exactly what treatment you require before contacting us.
If your dentist has given you a referral letter, X-rays or other information, our team can explain how to send these to Evolve.
Speak to us about your referral
You can.
Specialist Endodontist
GDC no. 244328
Consultation – £x
Self-referrals welcome
Speak to our team about an endodontic assessment
Want to understand the treatment first?
Download: Your guide to root canal treatment
For independent information about specialist status, see the General Dental Council’s Specialist Lists information.
You can also read Evolve Dentistry’s CQC report.
Electric or manual toothbrush - which is better?
It`s one of those dental questions where almost everyone has an opinion.
But does buying an electric toothbrush automatically mean you`re doing a better job?
Richard tackles the question.
Whichever toothbrush you use, how you brush matters enormously - so don`t panic if there`s nothing rechargeable sitting beside your bathroom sink.
Now we`re curious...
Clear aligners or fixed braces - which is better?
Which is better - clear aligners or fixed braces?
Neither.
At least, not until we know more about you.
The right orthodontic treatment depends on your teeth, what you`d like to change, your lifestyle and a number of clinical considerations.
For some people, clear aligners can be a great option. For others, fixed braces may be more appropriate.
So rather than starting with:
“Which braces do you want?”
We`d much rather start with:
“What would you like to change about your smile?”
Swipe through to understand some of the differences.
💚 £338 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support! 💚
We had such a lovely time at our Macmillan Coffee Morning last week. ☕🍰
A huge thank you to everyone who popped into the practice, enjoyed a slice of cake, had a chat and made a donation. It was wonderful to see so many of our patients, friends and members of the local community getting involved, and we were genuinely touched by everyone’s generosity.
Together, you helped us raise an amazing £169.
And we’re delighted to share that Carol has very generously matched every pound raised, bringing our final total to…
🥁 £338 for Macmillan Cancer Support! 💚
Thank you to our brilliant team for baking, organising and keeping the cake table well stocked, and to every single person who helped make the day such an enjoyable one.
Days like this remind us just how lovely the community around Evolve really is. 💚
#MacmillanCoffeeMorning #MacmillanCancerSupport #Portishead #EvolveDentistry #PortisheadCommunity
Being shortlisted for Team of the Year means a lot to us, but not because of the trophy.
It’s because dentistry is never the work of one person.
It’s the nurse who notices you’re nervous before you’ve said a word. The reception team member who remembers the conversation you had last time. The clinician who takes time to explain something again. The person behind the scenes making sure your visit runs smoothly.
Those small things happen every day at Evolve, and they only happen because people care about the experience we create together.
So being a finalist gives us a lovely excuse to say something we probably don’t say often enough: we’re incredibly proud of this team.
#PrivateDentistryAwards #TeamOfTheYear #DentalTeam #EvolveDentistry
You might notice a familiar face missing from Evolve for a little while… 💚
Carol is heading to Zambia with SmileStar, a dental charity providing free dental care to communities with limited access to treatment.
In this video, Carol shares a little more about where she’s going, what she’ll be doing while she’s there and why she wanted to be part of the trip.
It’s going to be a very different couple of weeks away from the practice, and we’re incredibly proud to see Carol giving her time and skills to support SmileStar’s work.
We’ll be sharing a little more from her trip when we can, but for now, we’ll let Carol tell you all about it in her own words. 💚
Safe travels, Carol. We can’t wait to hear all about it when you’re home!
#EvolveDentistry #SmileStar #Zambia #Dentistry #Portishead
🍰 Come and join us today! 💚
Our Macmillan Coffee Morning is in full swing at Evolve Dentistry, and we’d love to see you!
We’ve got plenty of delicious homemade cakes waiting for you, so pop in, say hello, grab a slice (or two!) and help us raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
We’ll be serving cakes right through until 5pm today, so there’s still plenty of time to come down.
📍 Evolve Dentistry, Portishead
🍰 Cakes until 5pm
💚 Everyone is welcome
Come hungry! 😋
#MacmillanCoffeeMorning #MacmillanCancerSupport #Portishead #PortisheadCommunity #EvolveDentistry
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