A root canal is a procedure that is used when the nerve of a tooth (dental pulp) requires treatment. The procedure involves removing the affected nerve tissue from the tooth. The canal of the root is then cleaned and shaped. Once that’s finished, a filler material is placed in the canal where the nerve tissue was removed. Depending on the location of the tooth, there may be more than one root and/or canal.
Despite some of dentistry’s very worst reputations, root canals are typically not a painful procedure. Most people find them to be akin to a regular filling in terms of comparison.