Root canal treatment (also called endodontics) is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth (known as the pulp) is infected through decay or injury.

If the pulp becomes infected, the infection may spread through the root canal system of the tooth. This may eventually lead to an abscess.

Modern root canal procedures provide an excellent way of saving a tooth which, in the past, would have had to be extracted.

The aim of root canal treatment is to remove all infection from the root canal. The root is then cleaned and filled to prevent any further infection.

We often recommend putting a crown on top of the root filling to give it more chance of lasting even longer.