A root canal treatment is performed to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or has become infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form.
Technically “root canal” is not the name of the procedure but refers instead simply to the natural cavity found in the center of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area inside the root canal. The tooth’s nerve lies within the root canal. Occasionally, the internal soft tissue (or pulp) of the tooth becomes infected and can result in a serious infection if left untreated.
In fact, the procedure that laymen refer to as a “root canal” is known as a pulpectomy to dentists. A pulpectomy is an endodontic treatment to cure an infected root canal. In the old days, damage to the core of a tooth usually meant it had to be removed. Today, however, a “root canal” procedure (or pulpectomy) disinfects and refills the inside of the tooth, thus preventing pain and limiting damage to the tooth.
