Root Canal Treatment

Like other parts of your body, teeth are living organs. Right in the center of a tooth is the PULP, which is a complex set of nerves and a blood supply. This blood supply is connected to your body's blood supply via "roots," just like a tree's roots. When a tooth has extensive decay, the bacteria in the decay can get into the blood supply of the pulp. When this happens, the bacteria now have a chance to get into your body's blood supply and the infection will spread into your bones, and if not treated, into your whole body.

A root canal will prevent all of this from happening. A root canal is basically a filling, except that instead of the filling the top of your teeth, we will fill the roots of your teeth.
We clean out all the bacteria and infected nerves and blood, and place a rubber/plastic seal in the root. This prevents bacteria from spreading into your body.
After a root canal treatment, the tooth looses all of its natural hydration from the nerve and blood vessels and becomes very brittle. This can make a tooth more prone to fracture especially if the tooth is a molar where most of the biting forces are concentrated. For this reason, dentists usually recommend a crown to protect teeth that have undergone root canal treatment.

There are many horror stories about root canals; that is because many years ago we did not have the anesthetic or the instruments we have today. In our office you get to watch a movie and most people fall asleep while getting a root canal, and they have minimal discomfort during and after the procedure.
So, if you ever need one, a root canal is not that bad.