Endodontics is a branch of dentistry dealing with the pathology of the dental pulp (the nerve inside the teeth) responsible for dental pain (pulpitis). It aims to prevent and/or treat acute infections (abscesses) or chronic infections (apical granulomas) that can form in the bone surrounding the roots of teeth due to contamination, infection, or death (necrosis) of the pulp. Endodontic therapy can be non-surgical (root canal therapy) or surgical (apicoectomy, or resection of the apex of a root). In any case, it is performed to remove the infected or necrotic pulpal tissue, to clean and disinfect the pulpal canals running inside the roots, to enlarge and shape the canals, and ultimately to fill and seal them with biocompatible materials.
