Root canal therapy has experienced rapid advances in technology over the past few years. To gain an understanding of root canal therapy, it is important to learn about the anatomy of a tooth and its immediate environment. There is more to a tooth than what one sees in a mirror. Root canal therapy treats that part of a tooth which is usually not seen. This is one reason that several x-rays are made during treatment.
Teeth have a root system which serves to anchor the tooth in the jawbone.
The root canal and its contents extend into the crown of the tooth. When dental decay destroys enough tooth structure, bacteria enter the root canal system. This will cause inflammation and pain with future death of the pulp and abscess formation. Root canal therapy enables the dentist to remove diseased pulp tissue from the canals and clean the canals. The canals are then filled with a biocompatable material which enables the body to heal the inflammation of the bone and gum surrounding the tooth.