Why Choose a Specialist
When your dentist refers you to an endodontist, you might wonder whether it matters. It does. Here’s why.
Fewer than 3% of dentists are endodontists
After four years of dental school, endodontists complete two to three additional years of advanced specialty training focused exclusively on diagnosing tooth pain and treating the inside of teeth. That post-doctoral residency — combined with board certification for diplomates like Dr. Eric Feuer — is what separates a specialist from a general practitioner who occasionally performs root canals.
The American Association of Endodontists calls endodontists “Specialists in Saving Teeth” — and the training is what earns that title. Less than 1 in 33 dentists has completed this specialty path.
Volume matters: 25 root canals a week vs. 2
A general dentist performs approximately two root canal treatments per week. Dr. Feuer performs dozens. That difference in volume isn’t just a statistic — it translates directly into confidence with complex anatomy, efficiency in the chair, and better outcomes. When something comes up that a general dentist sees once a year, it’s something we handle every day.
Specialists in getting you numb
One of the most common reasons patients dread root canals is fear of pain — often based on a past experience where a tooth wouldn’t get numb. Getting patients completely anesthetized, especially teeth with active infections or patients who historically have difficulty getting numb, is a specialized skill. Endodontists are trained specifically in advanced anesthesia techniques for exactly these situations. If you’ve ever been told “you’re hard to get numb,” please tell us — this is one of the things we handle routinely.
Technology that general practices don’t have
Our office is equipped for precision at a level that most general dental practices don’t maintain, because they don’t need to:
- Surgical operating microscopes — used for every procedure. Under high magnification and fiber-optic illumination, Dr. Feuer can see extra canals, locate hidden fractures, and work with precision that’s simply not possible without them.
- Carestream 3D CBCT imaging — provides a three-dimensional view of the root, bone, and surrounding anatomy. Flat X-rays miss things that CBCT catches, particularly root fractures and the shape of complex canal systems.
- Digital radiography — up to 90% less radiation than film X-rays, with instant images that can be shared with your referring dentist.
Board certification — a step above the specialty
Dr. Eric Feuer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontology (ABE) — a voluntary credential that requires passing comprehensive written and oral examinations beyond the specialty training itself. Fewer than half of practicing endodontists hold board certification. It is one of the ways Dr. Feuer has chosen to hold himself to a higher standard of clinical competence.
The goal: keep your natural tooth
Nothing functions or feels like a natural tooth. Implants are a good option when a tooth genuinely cannot be saved — but when a tooth can be saved, saving it is almost always the better outcome. Root canal therapy, retreatment, and endodontic surgery exist for exactly that purpose. That is what we do, and it is the only thing we do.