If your tooth's nerve chamber becomes infected by decay or injured from trauma, root canal therapy can save your tooth. Root canal therapy cleans out the infected pulp chamber and repairs the damage. Some indications of the need for root canal therapy may be spontaneous pain or throbbing while biting, sensitivity to hot or cold foods, and abscess in the bone.

Each tooth contains a strand of dental pulp filled with nerves and nutrients. If the dental pulp is damaged or infected, the nerves within a tooth die. These nerves must be removed in order to save the tooth. Also referred to as a root canal, endodontic treatment involves the removal of the diseased dental pulp, filling the hollow pulp chamber of the tooth, and sealing the treated tooth with a protective crown.