[3] Root canal treatment is a dental procedure used to treat infected tooth pulp which would be otherwise extracted.

[5] Root canal treatment can also be carried out on teeth with doubtful pulpal state before placing post-retained crowns and overdentures.

Extrusion of sodium hypochlorite irrigating solution during a root canal procedure can cause a severe inflammatory reaction and tissue damage.

There are a number of root-end filling materials available, including zinc oxide eugenol cements, and mineral trioxide aggregate.

Hemisection, where a root and its overlying portion of the crown are separated from the rest of the tooth and optionally removed, is another (non-periradicular) endodontic surgery.

[13] Microsurgical endodontics, the use of magnification devices such as microscopes, and dental loupes, has been widely accepted among endodontists and practitioners;[18] its use is believed to increase accuracy and visualization in the operating field.

[20] The American Association of Endodontists strongly encourages its members to pursue the use of an oral microscope to ensure the highest level of excellence.

[22][23] Endodontists are specialist dentists with additional training, experience and formal qualifications in endodontic treatment, apicectomies, microsurgery, and dental emergency and trauma management.

[citation needed] In the United States after finishing a dental degree, a dentist must undergo 2–3 additional years of postgraduate training to become an endodontist.

Following successful completion of this training, the dentist becomes eligible to sit for the American Board Of Endodontology examination.

Endodontists use microscopes during treatment to better treat the small internal anatomy of teeth without taking away too much tooth structure, or causing iatrogenic damage.