Your teeth are made up of 3 layers: the outer protective enamel, a softer layer of sensitive dentin underneath that, and an inner pulp chamber that contains the “nerve” of the tooth. Branching off from the pulp chamber are one or more canals that move through the tooth and end at the tips of the roots. These root canals contain nerves and blood vessels that allow a tooth to maintain it's health by allowing nutrients from the blood to access the tooth and toxins to be removed.

• A deep cavity, traumatic injury, or tooth fracture can make the canal susceptible to bacterial infection, which cause irreversible inflammation of the nerve and causes pressure to build up inside the tooth.
• This can cause severe tooth pain and with enough time, the nerve within the tooth may die and infection of the tooth and surrounding bone may occur.
• If you see a dentist in the earliest stages of this condition, the tooth may be saved with a root canal. Otherwise, it may need to be extracted and replaced.