Although it is one of the most feared treatments among the public, root canal treatment is actually a procedure that relieves pain, not one that causes it. The severe throbbing that occurs when decay reaches the nerve only goes away when the nerves are removed.

Thanks to modern local anesthesia techniques performed during the procedure, the patient feels no pain; it is no different from getting a filling. The infected nerve tissue (pulp) is cleaned, the canals are disinfected and filled with special filling materials. Thus, the tooth is saved from extraction and continues to remain in the mouth for many years.