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Root canal is widely considered a painful dental procedure, but usually does not cause more discomfort than other dental procedures like filling a cavity or cleaning the teeth. It is the procedure by which the dentist treats the soft  tissue in the hollow area within the teeth - the pulp and the canals through which the pulp chamber is connected to the root of  the teeth. The pulp tissue in a healthy tooth contains nerve fibers, blood vessel, lymph and tissues.

A cavity or injury to the tooth may cause the soft tissue inside the tooth to become infected, which may lead to the inflammation of  the jaw. This is usually very painful and root canal treatment (endodontic treatment or pulpectomy) may be required to save the external structure of the tooth. The dentist  scrapes out the infected pulp from the pulp chamber and root canals of  the tooth.

 If the tooth is completely decayed, most of the pulp is already dead and the removal of  infected pulp may be painless. If the nerves still remain in the tooth, local anesthesia may be required. The removal of the pulp is a lengthy process and may take several sittings. After each sitting, the tooth is filled temporarily using calcium hydroxide, which reduces inflammation. The dentist has to ensure that all the pulp tissue is removed and no bacteria remain, which could cause an infection at a later date.

After all the tissue has been removed, the empty pulp chamber and cavity are filled with an inert material and sealed. Usually gutta percha is used as a sealing material. If part of  the tooth has fallen or broken off  due to the cavity or injury, a crown may fitted onto the remaining part of  the tooth to protect it. At times, dentists may find it difficult to treat teeth at the back of  the mouth, since the mouth has to remain wide open for a long time and may cause locked jaw in some patients.

The crown can be made from different materials depending on the location of  the tooth and cost considerations. For teeth in the front of the mouth, the crown is usually made of  tooth colored material so that it blends with the other teeth. The crowns fitted on molars should be able to withstand the pressure due to grinding and is usually made of metal alloys which are less brittle.