Why does the pulp need to be removed?

If the pulp becomes inflamed, it will eventually "die " and lead to a bacterial infection in the center of your tooth. This infection will spread to your jaw, causing pain and a bacterial abscess. Furthermore, the death of a tooth pulp can be a very painful experience. Removing the pulp via root canal treatment will alleviate this pain and prevent a bacterial infection. Luckily, a tooth does not need a pulp to function. When the entire process is completed, patients do not notice a difference between a tooth with a pulp and a tooth where the pulp has been removed.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is basically a dental filling that fills all of the nooks and crannies that reside within the root(s) of a tooth. When a tooth gets a deep enough cavity, these nooks and crannies, which are filled with nerves and blood vessels collectively known as the dental pulp, become inflamed and infected with bacteria. Often this causes a toothache, but sometimes it does not. Either way, this infected dental pulp needs to be cleansed of bacteria and filled with a dental filling that takes its place and helps seal these nooks and crannies from future infection.

What is the dental pulp?

The dental pulp is the innermost part of your tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. Because it does not contain any minerals, the dental pulp is very soft -- roughly the consistency of your gums. It is this pulp that causes your tooth to feel a sting in your teeth when you eat ice cream and pain when you have a toothache.

What happens if the pulp gets injured?

If the pulp gets injured, it will become inflamed. Inflammation is a process by which human tissue becomes swollen, red, puffy, and irritated. Unfortunately for us, this swelling occurs inside of a tooth that is very hard. Consequently, pressure builds up inside of your tooth and irritates the nerves that make up this pulp. This irritation results in the pain you feel when you get a toothache. Furthermore, after a while this inflammation will eventually cause the pulp to lose all of its blood circulation and consequently "die. " A dead pulp does not contain living cells and will inevitably become infected with bacteria. This bacterial infection usually causes a different kind of toothache later on.