If bacterial infection in the dentin is not treated, it could progress into the pulp. The pulp contains nerves that are directly connected to the tooth’s roots. Bacteria that have permeated the pulp can kill the living tissues within it and travel through the tooth’s roots, into the jawbone and surrounding tissues. If a tooth is so infected that it cannot be saved with root canal therapy, then it will have to be extracted to prevent the spread of infection.
.
