Use Root Canal Therapy to Repair Your Damaged Tooth
If you have a severely damaged or decayed tooth or a tooth infection, you may need root canal therapy. Root canal therapy is used to repair your tooth rather than removing it.
If left untreated, the tissues around the root of your tooth can become infected, leading you to feel pain and swelling. An abscess may also form inside the tooth and / or in the bone around the end of the foot of your tooth. An infection can also put you at risk of losing your tooth due to bacteria damaging the bone that keeps your tooth connected to your jaw.
The pulp is a soft tissue inside your tooth that provides nourishment to your tooth, and it contains nerves and blood vessels. It can become infected if you have any of the following issues:
A deep cavity
Repeated dental procedures that have disturbed the pulp
A cracked or fractured tooth
An injury to the tooth (even when it is not visibly cracked or chipped)