root canal

American  

noun

Dentistry.

root canals plural

1. Also called pulp canal.  the root portion of the pulp cavity.

2. Informal. root canal therapy.

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root canal British  

noun

1. the passage in the root of a tooth through which its nerves and blood vessels enter the pulp cavity

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• root canals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of root canal

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

root canal

Another review reported that people with diabetes also face a greater risk of developing new apical periodontitis in teeth that have already undergone root canal treatment compared with people who do not have diabetes.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

It is one thing to imagine root canal surgery at the dentist.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Some patients are given a choice: have the tooth removed on the NHS or have specialist root canal work to save it, but only if they are prepared to go private, she says.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

The researchers found several encouraging changes in patients after successful root canal treatment.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 15, 2026

"A monochrome Jackson Pollock," Jane says, and then tells Tiny, "We gotta bolt. This band is like a root canal sans painkiller."

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan