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Root canal treatment, also referred to as endodontic therapy by dentists, has become a fairly common dental procedure these days. Sometimes decay or injury leads to the infection of the tooth pulp which is essentially the nerve tissue of the tooth. Initially you may not experience any pain, but when the pulp tissue starts to die, the tooth may turn a dark colour and then you will require root canal therapy.
If left unchecked, the infection may spread from the nerve tissue to the root canal system leading to the formation of an abscess. Pus gets collected in the abscess which in turn causes swelling and inflammation of the surrounding tissues. This stage is very painful and if root canal treatment is not carried out immediately, it will result in the loss of the tooth.
Unlike popular belief, this process is not very painful and is done under the effect of a local anaesthetic. The dentist first removes the infected pulp tissue; he also drains out the abscess if any present. Then the root canal is cleaned well and made ready for a temporary filling. The tooth is allowed to settle well for a few days after which the permanent filling is done.
Root canal treatment is offered by most dentists in their clinics in the city of London, though some may refer you to an endodontist. Many people hesitate to get this process done fearing the pain but it is inadvisable to do so. It is always better to save your original tooth than have it rot and extracted and then be fitted with an artificial one.