



Root Canal Treatment
(Endodontics)
Why is root canal treatment required?
Root canal treatment is needed to save the tooth when the
pulp (blood and nerve supply) becomes Infected due to
decay or injury.
Left untreated this infection may result in abscess formation,
which causes swelling, pain and infection of the jaw bone.
The pain may be anything from a dull ache to a severe pain and
the tooth will be tender to bite on.
The only other alternative to root canal treatment is extraction.
What to expect
You will be given a local anaesthetic and shouldn’t feel anything more than a normal filling.
The dead pulp will be removed and the remaining root canal cleaned and enlarged so that it
can be easily filled.
Once the root canal has been successfully cleaned the canal is sealed tightly with a filling and
the remaining tooth can be restored.