Do I Need a Referral to See an Endodontist Near Portland?

If you are looking for an endodontist near Portland, your general or family dentist will often give you a referral. In some cases, you need to go straight to the specialist. Depending on the type of insurance you have or dental problems you are experiencing, you may need a referral to see an endodontist.

Keep reading to see when you can visit an endodontist near Portland without a referral.

When do you need a referral to see an endodontist?

Most of the time, you need a general dentist to diagnose your dental problem and refer you to a specialist for treatment. A dentist will give you a referral when:

• A toothache turns out to be from an infection of the tooth pulp
• A tooth fracture extends all the way to the inner tooth
• You need a root canal before the dentist can do further dental restoration
• A root canal was already performed on the problem tooth
• Your tooth has irregularities like calcium deposits at the tip of the root
• The tooth can only be saved with more complex endodontic surgery

When can you go directly to an endodontist?

Sometimes, you can easily tell that you need the services of an endodontist. If you find yourself in the following situations, you can skip a visit to the general dentist.

When a tooth with a root canal starts hurting

If a tooth that was treated by an endodontist develops further problems, then you can go directly to the specialist. The endodontist can examine the tooth and review the work you had done at their office. They may find that your root canal was ineffective or that you developed a new condition.

When you have a dislodged tooth

If your tooth is knocked out, you can go directly to an endodontist. They will reattach the tooth if the conditions allow it. First, they will anchor the tooth in place by splinting it to adjacent teeth. Then they will perform a root canal to deal with injured dental pulp. This is only possible if you see the specialist immediately after the tooth is dislodged.

When you experience the symptoms of pulpitis

Although this happens rarely, a patient who is sure that they have an infection in the pulp of their tooth can visit an endodontist.

Most of the time, a toothache is caused by problems that can be fixed by a general dentist. It is easier for everyone involved if your dentist evaluates the tooth first before you see an endodontist near Portland.

However, there are tell-tale signs that can indicate you have pulpitis:

• A small white protrusion on the gum, near the base of an aching tooth. The protrusion will look like a small pimple
• When you bite down on the problem tooth, you will experience lingering pain
• You will experience painful, pulsing pressure at the top of the tooth. This is the place where the infection tries to push its way out
• In some cases, you may notice that your mouth fills with pus. This happens when the infection succeeds in pushing its way out of the tooth

These are definite signs of pulpitis, so you can go straight to the endodontist when this occurs.

Get your tooth treated and restored at our office

If you are searching for an endodontist near Portland, you are likely already in a great deal of pain. Call our office to schedule a visit instead of waiting for a referral from your regular dentist.

Request an appointment here: https://www.cosmeticdentistoffice.com or call Rachel Cole DDS PC at (503) 248-1114 for an appointment in our Portland office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Root Canal Treatment.