Root canal treatment (endodontics) is a dental procedure performed to treat an infection pulp or remove dead nerve tissue on the inside of the tooth, followed by cleaning, disinfecting, filling, and sealing the empty nerve space.

Root canal treatment helps to relieve dental pain by eliminating bacteria from the infected root canal, preventing reinfection, and saving the natural tooth that might otherwise have to be removed completely due to deep decay or experiencing severe trauma.

The patient might need a root canal treatment if he/she experiences:

  • severe pain while chewing or biting
  • tooth sensitivity that lingers, especially to heat or cold
  • acute dental pain especially during nighttime
  • gum boil/abscess (a contained collection of pus) that looks like a pimple or bump on the gums
  • chipped or cracked tooth
  • deep decay

Root canal treatment is performed under a dental microscope that enables endodontists to detect and treat the canal accordingly while optimizing the long-term survival rate of the affected tooth.