Root canals have an undeserved reputation as a painful dental procedure. It is ironic that the goal of a root canal is to relieve the pain of infection or inflammation at the center of a tooth. To ease apprehensions for patients who have never had a root canal, this short article will walk you through it, step-by-step.

A root canal needs to be performed if the pulp of the tooth – the center mass under the enamel and dentin – becomes infected or inflamed. While infected, the tooth hurts, a lot. The pain can be so great that you just want the tooth removed. Although removing the tooth will remove the pain, a root canal removes the pulp of the tooth – replacing it with a rubbery substance – but keeps the dentin and enamel. Continue Reading