Why do I need a Root Canal?

Patients often say to me, "I'm not in any pain, Doc.  Why do I need a root canal?"
While it's true that pain is one reason to need root canal therapy, it's not the only reason.

Look at this x-ray, for example, and notice the large circular shadow at the end of the tooth root (shown by the arrow).  This "lesion" indicates an unhealthy loss of bone around the tooth. 

This tooth is almost certainly dead and feels no pain.  But the infection that killed the tooth inside is now coming out the end of the tooth.

Untreated, our bodies will continue to lose bone (on purpose) to try to get rid of this tooth, the source of the infection.  The process is similar to a splinter getting red and sore until the splinter is pushed out.

Root canal treatment will clean and disinfect the inside of the tooth then seal it from future infections.  Once the infection is removed, our bodies will fill in bone around the tooth root once again.