Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment (also known as endodontic therapy), is needed when there is an infection in the pulp of a tooth.

The pulp is the soft inner portion of the tooth

containing nerves and blood vessels. Damage or decay in the pulp can cause severe pain and a variety of other symptoms such as:

Prolonged sensitivity or pain upon exposure to hot or cold temperatures
Severe tooth pain when chewing or applying pressure
Discoloration (darkening) of the tooth
A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums

Timely administration of root canal treatment

can save the damaged tooth from extraction and can also prevent the infection from spreading to other areas of the mouth. If treatment is not done in time, then the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected, and abscesses may form.

Apart from an abscess,

an infection in the tooth root can also cause bone loss around the root tip, swelling that may extend to other areas of the head, neck or face and drainage problems extending outward from the root (a hole could occur through the side of the tooth drainage into the gums or cheek, causing further infection).