/oss/taxonomy/term/5083/all en /oss/article/history-you-asked/what-smell-when-i-get-root-canal-done <p>Undergoing a root canal procedure is not one of the great pleasures of life, but it is a highly effective technique for saving teeth. The idea is to remove the diseased pulp of a tooth and then fill the root canals with gutta-percha, a rubber-like material from the sap of sapodilla trees that grow in East Asia. The gutta-percha has to be heated to reduce its viscosity so that it can easily flow into the vacated canals. The heat causes some degradation of the gutta-percha with the release of isoprene, a compound that has a characteristic fragrance.</p> Fri, 08 Jan 2021 16:12:02 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8549 at /oss