The root canal treatment process
Root canal treatment (also known as Endodontics) is a procedure whereby dead or damaged nerves and blood vessels are removed from the inside of an affected tooth and replaced with a protective filling. It is a very effective treatment with a high success rate.
Endodontic treatment is required when bacteria enters the pulp of the tooth, making it very painful and swollen. This is often as a result of decay, trauma or a crack developing in the tooth.
Your dentist will delicately clean out the root canals and remove all the damaged tissue and bacteria. This process shapes the inside of the tooth which can then be filled with a replacement material, usually gutta percha, which prevents the bacteria returning and thus allows the tooth to heal.
Difficult cases
Occasionally the treatment is unsuccessful and the tooth becomes re-infected. This happens in scenarios where the procedure is not straightforward.
For example, there can be extra nerve canals in teeth or even "lateral" canals running at right angles to the main nerve canal. Specialist equipment is often necessary to complete these more difficult cases.
Unsuccessful treatment doesn’t mean that the tooth has to be extracted. Often the filling can be removed, the canal cleaned and a new root filling placed.