When the roots under a tooth are infected, your dentist will recommend a root canal. The procedure aims at saving the tooth by removing the infected nerve tissue.

The procedure starts with a numbing agent or anesthetic around the infected tooth.

A tiny drill clears the top of your tooth to expose the infected pulp that needs to be cleaned. Teeth Pulp mainly constitutes tissue that houses the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue through the tooth canal to the jaw bone. Special tools named files are used to scrape off the decayed or infected pulp from the tooth canal. The canals are then cleaned with specialized disinfectant solutions. The canals are filled with permanent material soon after the infected area is scraped and cleaned.

The top side of the tooth may be sealed with a soft, temporary material. Once the tooth is filled with a permanent material, a final crown may be placed on top during a second visit.

You may be given antibiotics to treat and prevent infection.