It is a treatment done when the pulp [nerves and blood vessels] of a tooth is infected which may or may not give pain.

Procedure:

It is a painless procedure throught out the treatment.

An X-ray of the tooth is taken and assessed. The infected pulp is removed from the root canal and then the canal is filled with a filling material, when no infection exists and is under sterile condition. The cavity of the teeth is also filled. Now the tooth is cleared of all infection, but since there is no nerve or blood supply the teeth will become brittle and fragile. Possibility of tooth to get fractured is more, so to reinforce the tooth it has to be crowned. A ceramic crown is ideally preferred.
It is purely a mechanized procedure and is done in about one hour. Patients will be advised antibiotic and pain killers, if necessary only.]

Single sitting root canal treatment:-

RCT is finished in one sitting and an impression of the prepared tooth is made for a crown. In the next visit the crown will be fixed on to the tooth.

Multiple sitting root canal treatment:-

RCT is finished in two sittings with a gap of three to five days and an impression of the prepared tooth is made for a crown second visit. In the next visit the crown will be fixed on to the tooth.
Laser associated root canal treatment:-The root canals can be more effectively disinfected and sterilized using lasers. It is done adjuvant to a normal root canal treatment.

Notes:

You can be sure that it is purely a painless procedure. We personally prefer multiple sitting root canal treatment as the dentist can assess the sterility of the root canal and if any infection is still existing he can remove it in the next visit before filling and closing the canal permanently. Single sitting root canal treatment is advised in an emergency situation or when the patient lacks time or co operation. It is a successful and an accepted method of treatment.