Inside each tooth is the pulp, which holds the nerve and blood supply. When it becomes infected, root canal treatment is the only way to deal with it. The infection can spread through the tooth’s root canals, and left untreated it very often leads to an abscess.
The nerve can become infected through tooth decay, a leaking filling, gum disease or an injury. Usually a deep cavity or a cracked tooth has let bacteria reach the pulp. If the pulp is damaged beyond repair, the tooth has died. We recommend root canal treatment when an abscess appears, because it’s a sign the pulp is damaged.
What it does
Root canal treatment cleans the infection out of the pulp chamber and repairs the damage, so you keep the tooth instead of having it extracted. We then restore the tooth, for example with a crown, so it looks right again.
