How to Become an Endodontist?

An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in the treatment of medical issues associated with tooth pulp. The endodontists have to perform many different types of procedures on patients including surgery & replacement of teeth, treatment of infection, etc. The training period required to become an endodontist is one of the lengthiest.

It is mandatory to complete a minimum of 2 years program after the 4 year bachelor's degree course. There are many details other than these which need to be understood in order to become an endodontist.

To become an endodontist, one has to first complete the bachelor's degree in dentistry. The courses studied by students pursuing a bachelor's degree include biology, anatomy, physiology, physics and biochemistry. The specialty training required for working as an endodontist need to be completed after the bachelor's course.

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is used to determine whether a candidate is qualified enough to take up the course. Those students who complete the 2 year specialty program appear for the examination conducted by American Board of Endodontics.

A degree called Master of Science in Dentistry is offered to the students completing this post-graduate program. Obtaining the license to work as an endodontist is important. It is necessary for practicing as an endodontist legitimately. The American Association of Endodontists provides them with the necessary certificate to work as a licensed endodontist.

A separate license from state and local governments also is required in order to continue the practice as an endodontist.

There are many dental health issues for which endodontists have to provide the right treat. The infections of teeth pulp result into different types of diseases. These diseases are the area of focus in an endodontist's job. An endodontist has to carry out different procedures and tests while examining the patient.

Advanced surgical procedures and treatments follow the basic check up of teeth. The use of X-ray is often made by endodontists in order to have a look at the condition of nerves and tissues surrounding the teeth. Root canal treatment is an important medical procedure that endodontist have to perform and which requires great skills.

Treatment of infection of the tooth nerve requires the endodontists to perform a root canal. In this process of treatment, infected part of the tissue is removed.

Along with the above mentioned skills required to operate on a patient's teeth, an endodontist should also be capable of making them feel at ease. Communicating with patients in a proper manner is therefore, a necessary skill that endodontists need to possess.

A good hand-eye coordination also is a must for endodontists. They have to deal with fine details of the tissues and nerves connected with teeth. Performing surgical procedures therefore, needs a great amount of patience.

There is tremendous scope for working in the field of dentistry. Demand for these professionals is only going to increase in next 6-8 years. Employment opportunities in this field are expected to rise at a rate of 20% in the period between 2018 and 2028. The endodontist jobs are amongst highly paid and they earn anything in the range of $150,000 - $300,000.

However, taking into account the bonus, the income goes up to $175,000 - $350,000. The details on endodontist salary range should give the readers a better idea of growth prospects in this career.

The work of an endodontist is highly specialized and involves different activities like performing surgeries and other medical examinations. It is necessary to maintain a high score throughout the 4-year bachelor's degree course in order to seek admission to the advanced dentistry course that lasts for 2 years.

Operating on the tooth requires in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in treating the patients. The candidate/student who passes all these 'eligibility' tests is considered qualified enough for working as an endodontist. One should obtain a rough idea on how to become an endodontist through information presented in this article.