Dr. Gary Carr is arguably the finest Endodontic Specialist practicing in Southern California. He is a Diplomate of the American Association of Endodontists and is generally recognized by his peers as "The Father of Microscopic Endodontic Surgery".
Dr. Carr, a graduate of Cornell, is the endodontic specialist that other dentists in the know, seek out for their own treatment. Folks, we are lucky to have this wonderful man living and practicing in San Diego County.
I pulled this up from his website. It nicely explains what an Endodontist does:
"Endodontists are dentists who specialize in maintaining teeth through endodontic therapy -- procedures, involving the soft inner tissue of the teeth, called the pulp. The word "endodontic" comes from "endo" meaning inside and "odont" meaning tooth. Like many medical terms, it's Greek. All dentists are trained in diagnosis and endodontic therapy, however, some teeth can be especially difficult to diagnose and treat. That's why you may have been referred to an endodontic specialist.
In addition to dental school, endodontists receive two or more years of advanced education in this kind of treatment. They study root canal techniques and procedures in greater depth, for diagnosis and treatment of more difficult cases. For this reason, many dentists choose to refer their patients to endodontists."
My youngest brother was referred to Dr. Carr when he was in serious danger of losing a tooth from advanced decay. My brother was referred to Dr. Carr by Peter Nordland, D.D.S. (who may know is a pre-eminent Periodontal Specialist).
It is noteworthy that this particular brother of mine battles severe Schizophrenia. He is not the easiest patient to deal with. Dr. Carr treated him with genuine warmth, patience and great kindness.
This man is a genius, immensely respected within his field, yet is amazingly warm, approachable and tremendously kind. read more