Dr. William Eric Barkins, DDS

William E. Barkins, D.D.S., Edward R. Kirsh, D.D.S.
Mercantile Bank Building
1 SW 129th Avenue, Suite 402
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027
 (954) 438-4282
You probably came to this site because your dentist or endodontist said you needed endodontic or "root canal" treatment. The dentists at Endodontic Specialty Group, P.A. have received an additional two or more years of advanced university training in the field of endodontics. Endodontists specialize in performing routine, difficult, complex and surgical root canal procedures. In addition, they have experience in the treatment of advanced dental disease and in the treatment of difficult to diagnose oral-facial pain.
"I'd rather have a root canal than (something I really don't want to do)!" It's a common cliche. Its also a statement that doesn't accurately reflect modern root canal treatment.
Root canals' stress-inducing reputation took hold several decades ago, when root canal treatment really was painful. Today, its reputation remains …unchanged, even though the procedure itself has changed.
More than half the patients referred to our office come to us in pain, and a big part of what we do is get people out of pain. Endodontists are extensively trained to diagnose and treat oral pain, and we have expertise in performing dental procedures in a way that eases patients' fears and helps them avoid pain before, during and after a procedure.
A root canal saves a tooth by removing the pulp-the soft inner tissue containing nerves and blood vessels-that's been damaged, usually by deep decay. The endodontist cleans, fills and seals the canals, and the tooth is then restored with a permanent filling or crown by the general dentist. Nearly 16 million teeth are saved with root canal procedures each year.
In addition to the bad reputation root canals suffer regarding pain, there are other myths associated with them that, if corrected, might ease the fear that the procedure needlessly inspires in patients.
For instance, it's thought erroneously by many that root canals can cause illness. This claim is based on research performed in the early 1900s, which suggested that bacteria trapped in the teeth during root canal treatment can cause almost any type of disease, including arthritis, heart disease and kidney disease. While bacteria can indeed be found in the teeth and mouth, their presence does not constitute "infection" and is not necessarily a threat to a person's health. In fact, other researchers have been unable to duplicate this research over the years and believe that these early findings may have been caused by poor sanitation and imprecise research techniques that were common in that period. Recent studies indicate that teeth receiving proper endodontic treatment do not cause illness.
A third myth is that a good alternative to root canal treatment is extraction (pulling the tooth). The reality is that saving your natural teeth, when possible, is your best option. In a recent American Association of Endodontists Survey, 76 percent of participants said that they would prefer a root canal to tooth extraction. Artificial teeth can limit your ability to chew certain foods necessary to maintaining a balanced diet. Not only will a root canal save your ability to enjoy all the foods you love, but it will save you money. Endodontic treatment, followed by appropriate restoration (a crown placed over the tooth to make it stronger), is usually less expensive than extraction and placement of a bridge or implant, the only alternatives to root canals.
Even better, root canals have a very high success rate. Placement of a bridge or an implant generally requires significantly more time in treatment and may result in further procedures to adjacent teeth and supporting tissue.
The truth is that for people suffering from certain kinds of tooth pain, a root canal is usually a blessing, not a curse.