An Endodontist is a dentist who has undergone a minimum of 2 years of extra postgraduate training. This Specialist training allows an Endodontist
to:
1. deal with diseases of the dental pulp and supporting structures
2. diagnose facial pain and related problems.
Your general dentist sometimes refers patients for consultation when the diagnosis is complicated or when treatment is more difficult than normal. Aside from providing treatment, Dr. Welk's role is also that of educator. It is important that patients understand why they require treatment, what treatment involves and what they can do to ensure the best possible outcome. Dr. Welk believes that a properly informed patient has the best chance of achieving the optimal result.
What is a board certified endodontist or diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics?
To attain Board Certified, successful completion of the following three examinations is required.
1. The Written Examination tests a broad range of fields, including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, radiology, statistics, clinical endodontics and related disciplines.
2. The Case History Examination requires submission of documentation of a variety of cases from the endodontist’s own practice. The cases must be diverse and complex enough to demonstrate exceptional knowledge, skills, and expertise in the full scope of the field of endodontics.
3. The final phase of the Board Certification process is an Oral Examination. In the Oral Examination, a team of experts question the endodontist about a variety of endodontic diagnosis and treatment situations. Through the extensive interviews, a high level of skill in problem solving, decision making, analysis, creativity and evaluation must be demonstrated.
An endodontist, who has satisfied all requirements of the Board Certification process of the ABE, is declared Board Certified by the Directors of the ABE. This individual is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics.