The root canal has been drubbed through the years for its agonizing exploits. While much deserved in the past, its dreaded historical references have hung on too long.

Just like the fact that your barber is no longer also your dentist, root canal (or endodontic) therapy has changed dramatically since the nomads of dental horror yore told those first stories.

The wagon trains of dental theory are circling and you need to know which ride is going to be the best for you. The dust storm that these two wagon trains are making in the dental profession is intense. The whips are out and the horses are all in a lather.

I will jump into this wild-west dentistry fray knowing full well - my hide might get chapped in the flurry of leather. I am not a dentist - but have tried to do my best to decipher the smoke signals of clinical language these clinicians have presented me with. Hopefully, you and I will be able to move forward without getting trampled.