Many dentists seem not to like or enjoy endodontics and I can fully understand this. It's certainly not for everybody. It requires a lot of patience, a good eye for detail and remaining calm when things are not going as well as one would like. Having done nothing but endo for just over 20 years, I think I’d be pushed now to try to do any other form of dentistry.

I think it's easier to aim to do one thing very well than to try to do a number of things to a good standard, and I feel that general dental practitioners have, in many ways, a much harder job than I do. For me, the teeth are difficult but I only I have to do the one procedure, and for the most part the patients and referring colleagues are appreciative.

I like much less the increasing level of scrutiny and the threat of litigation. The defence organisations are finding that a large proportion of claims made against dentists are for problems in endodontics. I am frequently requested to provide records of my treatment as part of an ongoing claim against other dentists, and the claims often seem unduly harsh. I do think that some could be avoided by dentists taking great care in assessing a case and their own abilities before starting treatment.

Referral endodontics is often quite costly and patients may be unwilling to pay. But if a procedure goes wrong and it can be shown that the procedure is way outside what would be expected of a general dentist with a certain level of experience or expertise, it may be that a claim will be successful.

What additional skills have you learned as a result?

Other skills that I think have come as a result of my choice of career include problem-solving, communication skills, public speaking, personal resilience when things aren't going as planned and empathy with patients when they are undergoing sometimes tough procedures. I was lucky enough to be President of the British Endodontic Society a few years ago, which was a great honour.

What advice would you give to anyone considering this specialty?

For a young dentist considering their future, I could certainly recommend specialising in endodontics although it is not the easiest route to choose. Training pathways are now three years long, and can usually only be undertaken after obtaining a few years' experience in dentistry. Postgraduate programmes are costly, but against this, incomes are generally good and job satisfaction is high. Things are always moving forwards but I think it is unlikely that we'll not be needed in the future, no matter how easy the newer instrumentation is to use.

Why I decided to become…an endodontist

Dr Howard Lloyd

Why I decided to become…an endodontist