Root canal therapy is necessary when a tooth becomes badly infected and painful. An infection can develop if you have untreated tooth decay, a damaged tooth or have a leaky or crumbling filling or crown. This will allow bacteria in your mouth to reach deep inside your tooth where they can infect the pulp that contains nerves and blood vessels and which extends into your root canals in your tooth roots. A root canal treatment will remove the infection, so your tooth will feel much more comfortable and can be properly restored, usually with a dental crown.
During this treatment, the infected pulp is removed and your root canals are cleaned. This is an intricate procedure that is best done under a microscope, so we can be sure all the bacterial infection is thoroughly removed. The area is disinfected before the tooth is crowned. An adult tooth doesn’t need the pulp to function and your tooth could last for years or even for life after root canal therapy.
If you do have a toothache, then we strongly suggest you see a dentist sooner rather than later so that any infection can be promptly treated. This will relieve your toothache and the sooner root canal therapy can be performed, the greater the chance of saving the tooth.