A root canal is a treatment to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. The procedure involves removing the damaged area of the tooth (the pulp), cleaning and disinfecting it and then filling and sealing it. The common causes affecting the pulp are a cracked tooth, a deep cavity, repeated dental treatment to the tooth or trauma.

Your teeth are strong, but poor dental care can cause the protective enamel that encases your teeth to break down. When this happens, your teeth become sensitive and more vulnerable to fractures and cavities. This is when your tooth’s root can become infected. Each tooth has soft tissue that runs through the tooth’s canals. The tissue is made up of nerves and blood vessels, which provide vital nourishment to the tooth. When a cavity or fracture is left untreated, that pulpy, soft tissue becomes infected and causes pain – that’s when to get a root canal.

Most of the time, patients notice signs that a tooth requires dental care before their dentist recommends a root canal. The most common symptoms include the following:

Pain when chewing or brushing
Lasting sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures
Tenderness around the tooth and gum
Discoloration of the tooth
Swelling of the gum
Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms, and it can be difficult to know when to get a root canal. That’s why it is important to schedule regular visits to the dentist and practice healthy habits for good teeth. You can’t see what is happening inside your mouth, but a dentist can.

If you think you need a root canal, consult your dentist. There are a number of steps that occur over a few office visits.
X-ray – if a dentist suspects you may need a root canal, he will first take X-rays by dental x-ray machine or examine existing X-rays to show where the decay is located.
Anesthesia – local anesthesia is administered to the affected tooth. Contrary to popular belief, a root canal is no more painful than a filling.
Pulpectomy – an opening is made and the diseased tooth pulp is removed.
Filling – the roots that have been opened (to get rid of the disease pulp) are filled with gutta-percha material and sealed off with cement.

Generally speaking, whatever the cause of root canal , root canal or endodontic treatment by endo instruments will be necessary to save the tooth. All dentists receive training in endodontic treatment and can perform root canal procedures, but often a general dentist will refer individuals who need endodontic treatment to an endodontist, a root canal specialist.