Endodontists are trained to differentiate between pain of endodontic origin and non-endodontic pain. Not all oral pain implies that root canal therapy is needed. Even though pain may mimic that of a “toothache”, other possible causes of pain may be periodontal abscess, temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, cracked tooth syndrome, sinus infection, bruxism (grinding), atypical facial neuralgia, blocked salivary gland, cervical (neck) problems, etc.

In such cases, endodontic treatment is NOT necessary, since it will NOT resolve the problem. A referral to the proper medical treating physician will be made.