Why did my endodontic dentist refer me to another endodontic dentist?

Question

My upper left #14 with a crown has an abscess. I saw a dentist who specializes in Endodontics and he gave me a referral to another Endodontic specialist. He said that the root canal procedure on an upper molar was "trickier" and the dentist that he referred me to would be better qualified to handle my case. I do not understand what the difference is between doing a root canal on a lower or upper molar. What is the difference?

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

It has nothing to do with upper vs lower, it has to do with variation in anatomy. Teeth are unique from person to person, just like fingerprints. That is why CSI folks can use dental records to identify people. Some roots, whether upper OR lower, are straight. These roots are easier to do than curved roots. SOME curves are SO extreme that only VERY skilled dentists can do them. Kudos to this dentist for knowing their limitations and making the referral. If a root canal treatment is not done well, you can lose the tooth.

Brad Lockhart, DDS · Answer

Typically, the most difficult tooth in the mouth to perform root canal therapy on is the upper first molar. This is because this tooth often has a difficult-to-find fourth canal, this tooth's roots are often curved making negotiating the end of the canal more challenging and the tooth is also situated near the maxillary sinus making healing of the root canal potentially more problematic. If one endodontist referred you to another endodontist it is probably because the second endodontist uses a microscope and/or CBCT imaging which will come in very handy in treating an upper first molar, especially through an existing crown. Kudos to the first doctor who recognized his limitations and made a wise referral so you can have the best chance at treatment success.Good luck!

Elizabeth Reiser-Loeber, DMD · Answer

It sounds like your tooth is complicated and no one wants to mess up! That's fortunate for you to have honest practitioners. I'd recommend a cone beam scan so the endodontist can see the hidden anatomy as it's a 3D view in cone beam.

Prince Arrington III, DDS · Answer

That is an excellent question. 
The good news for you is that you are fortunate enough to have a dentist,
an endodontist who was honest enough to say, “I think there is someone who can
help this patient better than I can.” 
Anatomically, an upper molar has three roots and either 3 or 4
canals.  The fourth canal is the tricky
one, very difficult to locate.  Often,
the only way to locate it is with a microscope. 
Sometimes, the canals are calcified and microscopy helps with navigating
the canal.  I do not know in your
particular case, but there are many reasons for one dentist to refer to
another.

Why did my endodontic dentist refer me to another endodontic dentist?

Answers (4)

Answer: Referral From One Dentist To Another

Answer: Referral From One Dentist To Another

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Why did my endodontic dentist refer me to another endodontic dentist?

Answers (4)

Answer: Referral From One Dentist To Another

Answer: Referral From One Dentist To Another

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Everything you need to know about Dental Crown

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