Frequently Asked Questions

A root canal is a dental procedure which is aimed at saving your natural tooth. Several factors can cause the nerve inside your tooth to become irreversibly inflamed (pulpitis) and even die (necrosis). When this occurs the only option to save the tooth is to clean and disinfect the inside of the tooth and to properly seal it allowing the body to heal around the tooth and prolong the life of the tooth. This procedure is commonly known as a root canal. If you are unsure about possibly needing a root canal speak with your dentist or come see us for an evaluation.

At Columbia Endodontics we focus our practice exclusively on saving teeth. Dr. Bursian chose to pursue advanced training in Endodontics, commonly referred to as “root canals.” He completed a two year residency at The University of Tennessee Health Science Campus in Memphis, Tennessee. This additional training after dental school and focus on endodontics exposed Dr. Bursian to many challenging cases and experiences which help him to manage the complex teeth he sees on a daily basis. All general dentists are trained to perform root canal treatments but your dentist will sometimes refer a case to a specialist that is challenging and might be out of their scope of practice. The mission of Columbia Endodontics is to provide support to the general dentists of Middle Tennessee and most importantly to each and every patient that needs endodontic care.

Root canals have gained a bad reputation throughout the years. Countless patients avoid seeing their dentist because they are concerned about how painful a procedure will be. Teeth that need root canals are often sensitive or tender to begin with but the procedure of a root canal should be no worse than a filling and we do everything possible to make sure you are comfortable throughout the procedure. A root canal should actually reduce your pain level and improve how you feel not cause pain as you may have heard.