The primary objective of dentists has always been to relieve
dental pain and prevent tooth loss. Despite this effort, many
teeth develop caries, suffer traumatic injury, or are impacted
by other diseases and disorders, often requiring endodontic
care. Endodontics is a discipline of dentistry that deals with
the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human
dental pulp and periapical tissues, as well as the prevention
and treatment of diseases and injuries related to these tissues.
Its scope is wide and includes diagnosis and treatment of pain
of pulpal and/or periapical origin, vital pulp therapy, regenerative
endodontic procedures, nonsurgical root canal treatment,
retreatment of unsuccessful treatment, internal bleaching, and
endodontic surgery. Ultimately, the primary goal in endodontics
is to preserve the natural dentition. Root canal treatment
is a well-tested procedure that has provided pain relief and
has restored function and esthetics to patients. Millions of
patients expect preservation of their natural dentition; if root
canal treatment is necessary, they should be aware that the
procedure is safe and has a high success rate if properly
performed
Endodontics PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
