Root canal or endodontic treatment is a process whereby inflamed or dead pulp is removed from the inside of the tooth, enabling a tooth that was causing pain to be retained. Once a tooth is fully formes it can functiona almost as a well as a normal healthy tooth, after it has been root canal treated, and can remain in service for many years.

​If you have a damaged tooth, root canal treatment may help to save it. Inside your tooth is soft tissue containing nerves, and blood and lymph vessels, known as the tooth pulp. When the pulp cannot repair itself from disease or injury, it dies. A fracture in a tooth or a deep cavity commonly cause pulp death, as the pulp is exposed to bacteria found in your saliva. When the pulp becomes infected, it is best to remove it before it spreads to the tooth and surrounding tissues. The whole tooth may be lost if the infection is left untreated. Root canal treatment can save your tooth.

The pulp is the soft tissue inside your tooth that carries the vessels (blood and lymph), nerves and connective tissue. It extends from the crown of the tooth right to the tip of the root (in the bone of the jaw).

Initially, you may experience pain and swelling from an infection. Damage to the bone surrounding your tooth can also result. Without root canal treatment, your entire tooth may have to be extracted.

 ​Root canal treatment may involve one to three visits to the dentist. A general dentist or an Endodontist (a specialist in pulp problems) will remove the pulp of the tooth. They will then clean and seal the pulp chamber and root canal/s. The steps involved in root canal treatment are as follows:

An opening is made through the crown of the tooth into the chamber where the pulp is found.
The pulp is removed, and the root canal/s are cleaned and shaped into a form that can be filled easily.
Medications to prevent infection may be placed in the pulp chamber. 
Your dentist may leave the tooth open in order for it to drain, however often a temporary filling is placed in the crown of the tooth to protect it until your next visit. Antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent infection.
The temporary filling will be removed, and after cleaning, the pulp chamber and root canal/s will be filled. 
Finally, your dentist may place a crown (either porcelain or gold) over your tooth.