This question is really a difficult question to answer, because there are so many differing reasons. Some of the more common reasons are: a) the back teeth are the more difficult cases to treat, due to many factors. Limited ability to open your mouth. Maybe the referring dentist has big hands and is unable to reach in the back of your mouth comfortably, due to the size of his or her fingers. About 80-85% of the cases I see are molars, or back teeth. B) Some patients have a problem getting numb and we can overcome that for the patient. C) Some dentists don’t feel that they are very accomplished at doing this type of procedure, so they would rather you see someone that they feel is better at doing what they don’t like to do. This is very important to them because it allows your referral doctor to give you the best treatment you deserve. Your referral doctor will refer you to someone he/she is very confident with as far as the skills of the treating dentist you are being sent to. D) It is possible that your dentist anticipates some difficulty in the treatment of this particular tooth, and feels that it is out of the scope of his or her capabilities. E) In the case of a painful emergency, he/she may not have room in their respective schedules to effectively treat you, or get you out of pain. Doctors who limit their practices to endodontics, are used to seeing and getting emergencies every day. As a matter of fact, our practices are emergency based, and we are equipped to handle several emergencies each and every day. You could be referred for these reasons, and they are the most common reasons for being sent elsewhere. When you have dental pain, it is most uncomfortable, and most patients want to be relieved of it as soon as possible.

• Why do I need endodontic therapy (root canal therapy)?
• What is a root canal anyway?
• Would you be more specific?
• How long does it take?
• Is the procedure painful?
• Am I finished after the root canal? Do I need to have anything else done to my tooth?
• I had several crowns done in the past, how come I never had a root canal with those teeth?
• How long should I wait before having the buildup and crown done?
• Is it possible to not know that you need endodontic therapy?
• What is the difference between a regular dentist, and a specialist?
• Is it better to see a specialist, or let my general dentist treat me?
• What are some of the complications that could arise during treatment?
• Root canals don’t work on me! I’ve had several; and every time I end up getting the tooth pulled!
• My dentist said I needed to have a tooth I already had a root canal done on, treated again. Why?
• I had endodontic therapy done 10 years ago. Last week I had another tooth treated, and the procedure seemed very different. Which one is better?