What is root canal treatment, most patients know little about this treatment, only know that it is rotten nerve treatment, in fact, this is only a small part of the right, the following is to popularize the knowledge of root canal treatment. The so-called root canal refers to the pipe where the nerve vessels pass through the root of the tooth. The nerve vessels of the tooth are what we call the pulp, which is responsible for the source of nutrition for the tooth and makes the tooth perceptive to hot and cold stimuli. However, when bacteria invade the pulp, the root canal becomes a host for the bacteria, while a large amount of inflammatory material is produced, which eventually leads to pain. The purpose of root canal treatment is to create a channel for instruments to reach the root canal, remove the infected pulp tissue, and at the same time expand the internal space of the root canal, inject permanent filling medication, and maintain the sterility inside the root canal, thus prolonging the life of the affected tooth. What types of conditions require root canal treatment? The following indications are common in outpatient clinics: 1, pulpitis, pulpitis is characterized by significant pain on hot and cold stimulation, and spontaneous pain, intermittent episodes, and significant pain at night; 2, apical inflammation, manifested as pain in the affected tooth when biting, a sense of floating, pain aggravated by percussion, the root of the gum more swollen, pressure pain, and even fistula or abscess formation, mostly from the pulp inflammation is not treated in time regression Formation; 3, accidental pulp exposure, clinically mostly seen in the preparation of cavity type decay of dental caries, or the pulp exposure caused by serious dental trauma; 4, other, such as dental defect, hidden crack, traumatic occlusion, periodontal disease, etc. Of course, whether root canal treatment is needed or not, some auxiliary examinations such as pulp vitality test and dental X-ray are needed to assist in the diagnosis, so please do not take the right place. The steps of root canal treatment can be basically summarized into four steps: 1, pulp inactivation (rotten nerve); 2, root canal preparation (nerve extraction); 3, disinfection; 4, root canal filling. In other words, it usually takes four visits to complete the root canal treatment, which takes about three to four weeks. In addition, if the treatment process is uncomfortable, such as swelling and pain, additional visits are required to extend the treatment period. For patients with mild inflammation or good resistance, root canal treatment can be simplified to three visits or even one visit. Of course, some complications can occur during root canal treatment, which are mentioned in my other articles. Root canal therapy is already a relatively well established treatment for most of the affected teeth, with much better prognosis and long-term results compared to the previously used dry pulp treatment. However, the integrity of the tooth after root canal treatment has been destroyed and the tooth has lost its nutritional source, which reduces the fracture resistance of the affected tooth, which means that the tooth becomes brittle and can easily fracture. Therefore, all teeth after root canal treatment must be restored with a crown set. In view of the high time cost and economic cost of root canal treatment, it is recommended that patients should focus on prevention of dental disease, regular dental check-ups in the hospital, and timely consultation once problems are detected to avoid complex treatment of teeth.