There's a dental office in the basement of the White House, and that's where a team from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center took X-rays and determined that a root canal was in order ...

Learn what the latest studies say about root canals—when they’re needed, how they work, and why quality care matters.

Take heart. While many would rather dive into ice water than undergo a root canal, dentists have long known the truth: it no longer deserves its bad rap.