• Root canal therapy is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected. The treatment is performed when the pulp which is composed of nerves and blood vessels in the tooth becomes infected or damaged. During root canal therapy, the pulp is removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.
• People fear root canals because they assume they are painful. Actually, most people report that the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed. The discomfort experienced in the period leading up to seeking dental care is truly painful, not the procedure itself.
• Once completed, a protective filling or crown is placed to protect the tooth from fracturing.

A diseased tooth pulp may cause inflammation or infection. The symptoms of a damaged or diseased tooth pulp may include:

• unprovoked or spontaneous pain
• sensitivity to hot and cold drinks and foods
• pain when biting or chewing
• loosening of the tooth
• swelling of the gum near the affected tooth
• oozing of pus surrounding the affected tooth
• facial swelling.