The main purpose of dentistry is to maintain the chewing function of the patient by keeping the teeth in the mouth. The parts of the teeth seen in the mouth are called crowns, and the remaining parts of the teeth are called roots. The crowns of the teeth are surrounded by gums. Teeth consist of hard and soft tissues. The hard tissues on the crown of the teeth are the tissues beneath enamel on the outer surface and dentin. As for the root part, it is covered with cement on the outside and dentin tissue underneath. This hard tissues complex consisting of enamel, cement and dentin; it surrounds a cavity composed of connective tissue containing vessels and nerves. This space is called pulp cavity and the connective tissue is called pulp. The pulp is a vital tissue that is responsible for the development, nutrition and defense of the tooth.
Pulp may be inflamed for various reasons or may be infected by the settling of microorganisms. In this case, the pulp tissues must be removed, the canal cavity cleaned, shaped and filled with tissue-friendly canal fillers. This procedure is named as root canal treatment.