A patient needs a root canal treatment when he or she has a toothache and infection gets into the central part of the tooth. Having a root canal done on a tooth is the treatment of choice to save a tooth that otherwise would have to be removed.

A root canal procedure requires one or more appointments and can be performed by a dentist. An access opening is made on top of the tooth and a series of root canal files are placed into the opening, one at a time, removing the pulp, nerve tissue, and bacteria. Once the tooth is cleaned, it will be sealed with either a permanent filling orva temporary filling. At the next appointment, the roots and the inside cavity of the tooth will be filled and sealed with special dental materials. Good oral hygiene practices and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your root canal treatment.

If the patient still has imperfections and infection after the first root canal treatment, he or she needs to undergo retreatment. The difficulty of the retreatment will be more complicated than the first time. It needs to be done with the aid of a microscope.