Root canal treatment

A dental procedure that removes infected or damaged pulp from a tooth, disinfects its root canals, and seals them to preserve the tooth.

Dental pulp: The soft tissue inside a tooth containing nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Its inflammation or infection is the condition treatment removes from the tooth.
Pulpitis: Inflammation of the dental pulp, caused most often by deep decay or injury. Irreversible pulpitis is a common reason to remove pulp tissue.
Dentin: The mineralized tissue beneath enamel and cementum that forms most of a tooth. Dentin surrounds the pulp and contains microscopic channels that can transmit irritation.
Vital pulp therapy: Treatments that preserve all or part of a living dental pulp after injury or exposure. It can avoid complete pulp removal when the remaining tissue is healthy enough to retain.
Endodontist: A dentist with advanced training in diagnosing and treating diseases of dental pulp and root tissues. Endodontists perform complex cases and root canal procedures.
Root canal anatomy: The system of internal chambers and narrow passages that carries pulp through a tooth's roots. Its branching shape determines how thoroughly infected tissue can be cleaned.
Dental abscess: A localized collection of pus caused by bacterial infection in or around a tooth. An abscess at a tooth's root may require canal treatment to control its source.
Periapical tissue: The tissues around the tip of a tooth root, including periodontal ligament and surrounding bone. Infection from a diseased pulp can spread into these tissues.
Pulpotomy: Removal of the pulp in a tooth's crown while retaining pulp tissue in its roots. Unlike full canal treatment, it leaves some radicular pulp in place.
Pierre Fauchard: An eighteenth-century French surgeon often called a founder of modern dentistry. His dental writings described techniques for treating diseased teeth and their canals.

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