Why is the Root Canal performed?

​

Each tooth has a soft tissue – the pulp which nourishes the tooth and provides its blood/nerve supply. Because of deep decay, injury, or gum disease, the pulp tissue becomes inflamed or infected causing severe pain. It is the role of the dentist to remove the soft tissue located in the root canals, cleanse the area, and finally fill the canals with a special material so that bacteria cannot re-enter the tooth to cause another infection. When the treatment is complete, the tooth is by no means “dead”. It receives quite adequate support from the surrounding tissues and may be expected to last as long as any other natural tooth.