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What is a Root Canal?

By Tammy Davenport, About.com

Updated: August 14, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Question: What is a Root Canal?

Answer: A Root Canal is a dental procedure to fix a tooth by removing the pulp chamber of the tooth and filling it with a suitable filling material. A root canal is usually performed when the tooth cannot be filled or restored any other way because the decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or the tooth has become infected.

A root canal is also called root canal therapy or root canal treatment.

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