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What is a root canal?

There are three layers of material within a tooth. The outer, most calcified layer is called enamel. The next layer is called dentin, it is also moderately calcified, but is much softer than enamel. The innermost portion of the tooth is called the pulp. The pulp is the living portion of the tooth and consists primarily of blood vessels and nerve endings. Sometimes the pulp inside the tooth may become infected or inflamed, this may be due to the presence of bacteria which has entered from a deep cavity, from a crack in the tooth that has extended into the pulp or when a tooth has experienced a significant amount of trauma from being hit or fractured. When the pulp becomes infected or inflamed, it often times cause severe pain in the tooth and that's when root canal therapy becomes necessary.

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