Root canal treatment is a recommended procedure when there is inflammation or infection in the roots of a tooth. During root canal treatment, an endodontist who specializes in such treatment carefully removes the pulp inside the tooth, cleans, disinfects and shapes the root canals, and places a filling to seal the space.
Root canal therapy is done in three steps, and it usually takes one to two appointments. First, the endodontist removes the infected nerve within the roots. With the patient under local anesthesia, the endodontist makes a small access hole on the surface of the tooth and removes the diseased and dead pulp tissue with small files. Second, the endodontist cleans, shapes and decontaminates the roots, using small files and irrigation solutions. Then, the tooth is filled with a rubber-like material, using an adhesive cement to seal the canals completely. Treatment often takes only one appointment, but if there are curved canals, multi-canals, or large infections, this could take one or two additional appointments.