🦷 Tooth Nerve Treatment: What You Need to Know in 2025

If you or your child is experiencing tooth pain, it might be a sign that the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or infected. Tooth nerve treatment, also known as pulp therapy or a root canal, is a common dental procedure designed to save the tooth and relieve pain.

In this article, we’ll explain what tooth nerve treatment involves, when it’s needed, and what to expect during the process.

What Is Tooth Nerve Treatment?

The nerve (or pulp) is the soft tissue inside your tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. If this pulp becomes infected or damaged — often due to deep cavities, trauma, or cracks — it can cause severe pain and lead to an abscess.

Tooth nerve treatment involves removing the infected pulp, cleaning and disinfecting the inside of the tooth, and then sealing it to prevent further infection.

When Is Tooth Nerve Treatment Needed?

You may need this treatment if you experience:

• Persistent, severe toothache

• Sensitivity to hot or cold that lasts long after the stimulus is removed

• Swelling or tenderness around the tooth or gums

• Darkening or discoloration of the tooth

• Pain when chewing or biting down

Delaying treatment can lead to worsening infection and even tooth loss.

What Does the Procedure Involve?

Most tooth nerve treatments today are quick and comfortable:

1. Local anesthesia numbs the tooth and surrounding area

2. The dentist creates a small opening in the tooth to access the pulp

3. Infected nerve tissue is carefully removed

4. The root canals are cleaned and disinfected

5. The canals are filled with a biocompatible material to seal them

6. A crown or filling is placed to restore the tooth’s structure and strength

The procedure can usually be completed in one or two visits.

Is It Painful?

Thanks to modern dental techniques and anesthesia, nerve treatment is typically painless. In fact, it relieves the pain caused by infection. Some tenderness after the procedure is normal but temporary.