Root canal treatment
What is a root canal, and do I need one?
A root canal treats a tooth whose inner pulp — the nerve and blood supply — has become infected or is dying. The damaged pulp is removed, the canal cleaned and sealed, and the tooth kept rather than extracted.
What is a root canal?
Inside every tooth is a soft core called the pulp — the nerve and blood vessels that kept the tooth alive as it formed. If deep decay, a crack or a heavy knock lets bacteria reach that pulp, it becomes inflamed or infected and will not heal on its own. A root canal is the treatment that deals with it: the damaged pulp is removed, the narrow canals it ran through are cleaned and disinfected, and they are sealed to keep bacteria out. The tooth itself stays in place and is usually restored with a filling or crown afterwards.
It has a fearsome reputation it no longer deserves. With modern anaesthetic and techniques, having a root canal is usually much like having a filling — the pain people remember is the infection beforehand, which the treatment is what relieves.
When is a root canal needed?
It becomes necessary once the pulp is already infected or dying and cannot recover — often signalled by lingering pain to hot or cold, pain on biting, a tooth that has darkened, or a gum abscess. Left alone, that infection spreads through the tip of the root into the bone, and the tooth is usually lost. A root canal is what saves it.
The only way to know is an examination and an x-ray. Toothache has several causes, and not every one needs a root canal.
Can a root canal be avoided?
Sometimes — and as a biomimetic practice, avoiding one where it is safe to do so is exactly the aim. If the pulp is inflamed but still healthy enough to recover, techniques that protect and keep the living nerve (vital pulp therapy) can prevent a full root canal. And catching decay or a crack early, before it reaches the pulp, avoids the question altogether.
But once the pulp is genuinely infected or dead, a root canal — or removing the tooth — is the honest choice, and keeping your own tooth is almost always worth it. Which situation you are in can only be judged by examining the tooth.
Common questions
What is a root canal?
Treatment for a tooth whose inner pulp — the nerve — has become infected or is dying. The damaged pulp is removed, the canal cleaned and sealed, and the tooth saved rather than extracted.
Is a root canal painful?
With modern anaesthetic it is usually much like having a filling. Most of the pain people associate with root canals comes from the infection beforehand — the treatment is what relieves it.
Can a root canal be avoided?
Sometimes. If the nerve is inflamed but still healthy enough to recover, vital pulp therapy may keep it alive and avoid a full root canal. Once the pulp is infected or dead, a root canal or extraction is needed — only an examination can tell which.