Rootcanal treatments Inflamed tooth tissue no longer heals Teeth and molars consist of a crown and one or more roots. The crown is the part that you see. You don't see the roots. They are anchored in the jaw under your gums. There is a canal in every root, the root canal. This contains nerve fibers and small blood vessels. This living tissue is also called pulp. If the tissue is inflamed or has been inflamed, the dentist performs a root canal treatment. What causes inflamed tooth tissue? Tooth decay or a leaking filling can cause your tooth tissue to become inflamed. Trauma to your tooth can also be a reason. Bacteria are usually the cause of the inflammation. Sometimes the inflammation gives no symptoms, but severe pain symptoms also occur. What happens during a root canal treatment? During a root canal treatment, the dentist removes the inflamed tooth tissue. Inflamed tooth tissue no longer heals. It is an irreversible process. That is why your dentist removes the inflamed tissue. The root canal treatment The root canal treatment is done under local anesthesia if your tooth tissue is still (partially) 'alive'. Anesthesia is sometimes not necessary if your dental tissue has already died. Your dentist often takes one or more X-rays. This way he has good control over the course of the treatment. Your dentist first opens your tooth or molar and removes the inflamed tissue. He then cleans the canal with small files and rinses it with a disinfecting rinsing fluid. The canals are then filled. After the root canal treatment, your dentist will close the tooth again with a filling or a crown. A tooth or molar treated this way can last for a long time. Is a root canal treatment painful? A root canal treatment is usually not painful with anesthesia. Does a root canal treatment cause pain? After cleaning the root canals you can possibly have post-pain, which can last for a few days. You can suppress the pain with a good painkiller. Antibiotics are usually not necessary. This is information from IvorenKruis