What Is Root Canal Treatment (Endodontics) and When Is It Performed?

Tooth pain is a serious health issue that disrupts daily life. In cases of deep decay, tooth cracks, or infection, root canal treatment (endodontics) plays a key role in saving the tooth. Thanks to modern anesthesia and digital technology, this procedure can now be performed comfortably and without pain.

Root canal treatment is a microscopic cleaning procedure performed when the pulp—the tissue containing nerves and blood vessels at the center of the tooth—becomes infected or loses vitality.

The main symptoms indicating a need for treatment include throbbing pain that worsens at night and is triggered by heat, sensitivity while chewing, gum swelling or abscess formation, and discoloration of the tooth.

The treatment process includes detailed diagnosis with digital X-rays or, when necessary, 3D tomography, painless local anesthesia with rubber dam isolation, canal cleaning with rotary instrument systems, precise root length measurement with an apex locator, and a tight seal following laser-assisted sterilization.

The final cost can vary based on the number of roots and canals in the tooth, the extent of infection, whether retreatment of a previous procedure is needed, and the type of final restoration chosen.

Delaying tooth pain or simply masking it with painkillers can allow infection to spread to the jawbone and cause irreversible damage. Early intervention is the most effective way to keep a tooth in the mouth.