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

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Etymology

Origin of root canal

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

root canal

For root canal treatment, for example, NHS treatment costs five times less than it does to go privately.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

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

A successful root canal may provide benefits that extend beyond saving a tooth.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 15, 2026

Pressure is building on Mr. Johnson to bring the House back to start over, a prospect almost as appealing as a root canal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

"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

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