When the decay in a tooth gets too deep, it will go into the pulp.
When this happens, the patient will start to get hot/cold sensitivity and severe toothache.
The pulp is a vital structure inside the tooth that has a blood and a nerve supply.
Decay into the pulp can cause the pulp to die and bacteria to invade the pulp causing an abcess at the end of the tooth.
In this case if we are to save the tooth, we need to do endodontic therapy on the tooth.
This involves 2-3 appointments that are aimed at removing the pulp tissue, cleaning the canals, getting rid of bacteria and filling the pulp canals and chamber.
Most of the time endodontic treatment is successful. However sometimes it can fail. Each case is assessed on its merits.