Endodontic treatment (also known as root canal treatment) is a means of saving a tooth that may be damaged by fracture, infection or decay. The purpose is to restore the tooth and surrounding tissues to health, relieving both dental pain and infection. Without Endodontic treatment the only other alternative is to have the infected tooth removed, and so replace it with either an implant, a fixed bridge or a removable denture. None of these alternatives is anywhere near as effective as being able to actually keep the original tooth.
Not only is Endodontic treatment often the best option for you the patient, it is also an extremely cost-effective way to treat teeth with damaged pulp. Indeed it is usually less expensive than extraction and placement of a bridge or an implant. Endodontic treatment also has a very high success rate, with many root canal treated teeth lasting a full lifetime after the procedure.