A Love Letter to Endo

By Dr. Adam Gluskin

Some of my earliest childhood memories include conversations about endodontics at the dinner table. My dad, a full-time professor of endodontics, would spend his evenings refining lectures, studying radiographs, and drafting manuscripts at the end of a long workday. Long before I understood anything about the mechanics of root canal treatment or the impact it could have on a patient’s life, I understood that this specialty mattered deeply to him.

Choosing endodontics for myself brought new depth to a familiar path. Endodontics demands precision, patience, and humility. My father often reflects back on the humility of his greatest mentor, Dr. Sam Seltzer, who would often say “you could fill 20 libraries with what we don’t know”. Dr. Seltzer was not only his program director, but a pioneer in our fundamental understanding of endodontics. Even as technology advances at remarkable speed, we are still guided by the biologic principles that Dr. Seltzer and his contemporaries laid down for us.

Sharing this profession with my father has been one of the great privileges of my life. We represent different generations of the same specialty. He trained well before microscopes were commonplace; I trained never knowing a world without them. He adapted to the rise of nickel-titanium instrumentation; I entered a field already transformed by it. Today we practice with CBCT-guided diagnostics, advanced irrigation, microscopic precision, and expanding regenerative concepts. What once seemed aspirational is now routine. My conversations with my father often reflect how far endodontics has come, and how much its core principles remain unchanged.

We also both agree that despite these advancements, the essence of endodontics is still profoundly human. It is relieving pain. It is earning trust. It is connecting with patients in a moment when they feel most vulnerable.

For those entering the field without a family connection to endodontics, I want to emphasize something equally important: mentorship is core to this specialty. I have had the unique privilege of learning alongside my father, but every endodontist has access to a professional family. Our mentors, co-residents, program directors, and colleagues become the support system that carries us through challenging cases and pivotal career decisions.

Lean into that community. Call a former co-resident. Reach out to a mentor. Attend professional meetings. Ask a lot of questions. Endodontics rewards curiosity and humility, and no one succeeds in isolation.

As residents and new practitioners, we are starting our careers at an exciting moment in the evolution of our field. The pace of endodontic innovation feels extraordinary right now. But the most important constant is not the technology, but the commitment to excellence that defines our specialty. I am grateful not only for the opportunity to practice endodontics, but for the legacy, mentorship, and community that shape it. It is a specialty built on progress and sustained by those willing to continually learn and teach.

For those just beginning this journey: lean in and engage. The future of endodontics is bright, and you are an essential part of it.