A root canal is performed when the soft inner part of a tooth, known as the pulp, is injured or becomes inflamed or infected.

The crown of the tooth — the part you can see above your gums — can remain intact even if the pulp is dead. Removing injured or infected pulp is the best way to preserve the structure of the tooth.

Common causes of damage to the pulp include:

deep decay due to an untreated cavity multiple dental procedure on the same tooth a chip or crack in the tooth
An injury to the tooth you might injure a tooth if you get hit in the mouth; the pulp can still be damaged even if the injury doesn’t crack the tooth