What happens during a root canal treatment?

 

During a root canal treatment the dentist removes the infected tooth tissue. Infected tooth tissue does not heal anymore. It is an irreversible process. Therefore your dentist removes the infected tissue.

 

The root canal treatment:

 

The root canal treatment takes place under local anesthesia if your tooth tissue is (partly) alive. Your dentist will often take one or more X-rays to ensure he has good control over the course of the treatment. Your dentist first opens your tooth to remove the inflamed tissue. He then cleans the canal with small files, rinses it with a disinfectant and then fills the canals. Once the root canal treatment has been completed, your dentist will repair your tooth with a new filling. In instances when the tooth requires a very large restoration and will not sustain the chewing forces, a crown may be necessary. A tooth that has been treated this way nevertheless has the ability to last for a long time.