What is a Root Canal Treatment?

A root canal can eliminate some kinds of tooth pain. Root canal treatment — also called endodontics (“endo” – inside, “dont” – tooth) — is a set of specialized procedures designed to treat problems of the soft pulp (nerve) tissue inside the tooth.  And, with proper anesthesia (sedation) and a comfortable environment, it should not be painful process.

A root canal procedure becomes necessary when infection or inflammation develops in the pulp tissue of the tooth. You may feel intense pain as result because pulp tissue consists of blood vessels, connective tissue and nerve cells. While the pain may diminish or go away in time, without treatment, however, the infection will not go away. It can lead to a dental abscess, and may even contribute to systemic problems in other parts of the body, such as pain and swelling of the face.