Many patients who suffer from toothache have had the experience that when they go to the hospital to see the dentist, they often hear two answers: “You need root canal treatment for this tooth” and “You need to kill the nerve for this tooth”. So, “What is a root canal?” and “Is root canal treatment the same as extracting the nerve?” These are the most common questions that dentists explain to their patients. It is true that the term root canal therapy is a bit strange compared to the relatively easy to understand concepts such as scaling, extraction and filling. Therefore, in order to help you better clear your doubts, I will give you some knowledge about root canal treatment, including the difference between “root canal treatment” and “extraction of tooth nerve”, as well as the specific treatment process of root canal treatment. “Root canal” ≠ “nerve extraction” We should know that among all your body organs, only your teeth can really accompany you to the end. Because teeth are the hardest tissues in the body, they remain hard even after you have died. However, even though teeth have such a “strong exterior”, they also have a “soft interior” – there are many blood vessels and nerves inside the teeth, and we call these tissues “pulp”. We call these tissues “pulp”. Generally speaking, when the pulp becomes inflamed, it causes a certain degree of pain, which is medically known as “pulpitis”. Daily medication and injections can only temporarily relieve the pain, not treat the symptoms. Moreover, if the inflammation is not well controlled, the inflammatory material and germs will spread around the root of the tooth and cause more damage, which will cause more pain to the patient. So, in the past, dentists used to treat pulpitis by drilling the tooth open and using drugs to “kill” the inflamed pulp inside the tooth, thus relieving the pain. This is also known as “nerve extraction”. However, with the comprehensive innovation of treatment concept and the great progress of treatment technology, the old-fashioned method of “nerve extraction” is gradually being eliminated. Accordingly, “root canal therapy” is commonly used. In contrast to simple “nerve extraction”, “root canal therapy” involves not only “killing” the pulp in the root canal, but also removing the pulp from the root canal and then performing The root canal is not only “killed” but also removed from the root canal, then thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, and finally filled tightly with artificial filling material. To put it simply, “extraction of the nerve” is only one of the key steps in the complex procedure of “root canal treatment”, and the two cannot be equated. “Generally speaking, root canal treatment is suitable for pulpitis, pulp necrosis and various types of periapical inflammation, including pulpitis and pulp necrosis caused by caries, hidden fissure, overconsumption, pulp penetration, etc., which cannot preserve the living pulp. Specific treatment steps: 1.Pre-operative X-ray is taken in the process of root canal treatment, and X-ray is taken before root canal treatment to help diagnose, understand the location of the pulp chamber and the number and shape of root canals, and measure the working length of root canals. 2, uncover the pulp chamber to remove the decay and the original filling, uncover the top, and see the entire pulp floor anatomy so that the subsequent treatment can proceed smoothly. 3.To determine the working length of the root canal, apply the parallel projection X-ray method and root canal length measuring instrument to determine the root canal degree, and preferably insert pins to take X-rays. The purpose of root canal preparation and root canal cleaning is to remove the infected dentin from the root canal wall, remove the infected dentin and clean the bacteria from the root canal wall through the cutting action of root canal instruments in order to facilitate root canal filling. The purpose of root canal rinsing and disinfection is to remove microorganisms, flush out residues, lubricate root canal instruments and dissolve organic residues. Then, root canal disinfection is carried out to make the root canal sterile. 6. Root canal filling closes the entire root canal system, blocks the main root canal and lateral root canal outlets, and prevents leakage of microorganisms and fluids. No matter lateral or vertical pressure method, the root canal should be filled densely, and there should be no root canal lumen on the X-ray after root canal filling, and it should not exceed the apical hole. 7, root canal piling due to excessive tooth loss, resulting in a substantial decrease in the strength of the tooth (the performance of bearing force), can not well withstand the force of chewing. The purpose of piling is to increase the strength of the root and crown and to increase the stability of the affected tooth. 8, completion of the dental restoration X-ray film shows that the root canal filling is intact, temporary or permanent dental restoration, with a crown, to protect the affected tooth. At this point, the root canal treatment can be considered complete, while the root canal treatment also needs to be followed up, and the general period can be 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or longer.