Root canal treatment addresses disease inside a tooth’s pulp and root canal system. It may allow a tooth to remain in the mouth when infection or damage would otherwise make extraction necessary.
The dentist assesses whether the tooth can be restored. Under local anaesthesia, the canal system is cleaned, shaped, filled and sealed. Some cases require more than one appointment or referral to an endodontist. A final filling or crown completes the restoration according to the tooth’s needs.
Ask about the likely prognosis, alternatives and what happens between visits. Avoid treating a temporary filling as the finished treatment. New swelling, severe worsening pain or a lost temporary restoration should be reported.
Root canal treatment cannot guarantee that a tooth will last indefinitely. Ongoing cleaning and review remain important. If further disease develops, retreatment, root-tip surgery or extraction may be considered after assessment.