Endodontics, also known as root canal therapy, is an area of dentistry that focuses on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of pain and disease that occur inside the tooth. The procedure involves cleaning out the dental pulp (a soft tissue composed of nerves, blood vessels, and other tissues) inside the tooth that are diseased or that need repair and then sealing and filling the tooth back up again.
Teeth can develop infection due to a number of reasons, but the most common include deep cavities or traumatic injury causing fractures or broken teeth.
Symptoms that a tooth may be infected include severe tooth ache, swelling, a tooth that starts to darken in colour and increased sensitivity to hot and cold. In rare cases, no symptoms may be present, so it's important to consult with your dentist to find out if endodontics is necessary for you.