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Dentistry vocabulary · Root Canal Treatment

Gutta-percha

Meaning in dentistry, with examples

/ˌɡʌtə ˈpɜːrtʃə/nounCommon term

In dentistry, gutta-percha means: A rubber-like material based on the dried sap of a tropical tree. Together with a sealer, it is used to fill root canals after they have been cleaned and shaped.

In Turkish: güta perka

How it is used

Supplied as cones (points) in sizes that match the files. Dentists fill (obturate) the canals with gutta-percha using cold lateral or warm vertical techniques, then check the result on an X-ray. Often shortened to GP.

Example sentences

  1. Fit a size 30 gutta-percha cone and take an X-ray.

  2. The gutta-percha is about one millimeter short of the apex.

Common collocations

  • gutta-percha cone
  • gutta-percha point
  • warm gutta-percha
  • obturate with gutta-percha
  • root canal treatmentTreatment that removes inflamed or infected pulp from inside a tooth, then cleans, shapes and seals the root canals so that the tooth can be kept.
  • endodontic fileA thin, flexible metal instrument with cutting edges, used by hand or with a motor to clean and shape the inside of root canals.
  • apexThe tip of a tooth root, where nerves and blood vessels enter the tooth through a small opening called the apical foramen.
  • periapical X-rayA small intraoral X-ray that shows one or a few teeth from the crown to the root tip, together with the bone around them.

More terms: Root Canal Treatment

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.