A root canal treatment is used to save the tooth when the dental pulp or nerve centre has become infected or has died. The cause of the infection is usually decay or a fractured tooth.Without treatment this infection will cause a dental abscess, swelling and infection of the jaw bone, with all the associated unpleasant pain.
The only alternative to root canal treatment is to remove the tooth. It is always better to retain as much of the natural dentition as possible and then try to build on that with alternatives such as a denture, bridgework, or implants. Root canal treatment is a complex and time consuming procedure with little or no discomfort. It usually requires the two to three treatments to ensure the infection and inflammation has cleared.