A root canal treatment might be considered by your dentist if the inner part of your tooth - known as the pulp - has been severely damaged by either injury or decay. The pulp is the nerve supply to your tooth and without treatment, any infection can spread downwards into your gum, causing an abscess (also known as gumboil). An abscess can be incredibly painful, with a collection of pus gathering in the gum area, making it impossible to eat, or even touch the affected area. The likely outcome is the loss of your tooth.

A root canal treatment is a type of dentistry procedure known as endodontics, and is a particularly skilled type of treatment, typically taking at least a couple of appointments to complete. The infected pulp will be removed and then the root canal will be thoroughly cleaned out, removing any sign of infection. Your dentist will then leave the tooth to settle and if no more treatment is required, the tooth can be permanently filled. Sometimes a crown is added simply to provide security and strength; a tooth without pulp is effectively "dead" and can be weaker.

Not really. Once the pulp in a tooth has sustained that much damage, there's no way to bring it back to life. The only alternative to a root canal is the removal of the tooth but that's something that most dentists try to avoid. It's generally thought that keeping as many of your teeth as possible is a good idea.

You can't leave an infected tooth in your mouth either, as it will ultimately cause severe pain which could impact on your ability to eat and sleep.