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Dentistry vocabulary · Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment

Meaning in dentistry, with examples

nounCore term

In dentistry, root canal treatment means: Treatment 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.

In Turkish: kanal tedavisi, endodontik tedavi

How it is used

Often shortened to RCT in notes; patients usually just say 'a root canal'. Dentists start, complete or redo root canal treatment (retreatment), and the tooth is then described as root-filled.

Example sentences

  1. This tooth needs root canal treatment, or we'll have to take it out.

  2. Root canal treatment is usually done in one or two visits.

Common collocations

  • start root canal treatment
  • root canal retreatment
  • root-filled tooth
  • single-visit root canal treatment
  • pulpThe soft tissue in the center of a tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels. It fills the pulp chamber in the crown and the canals in the roots.
  • pulpitisInflammation of the pulp inside a tooth, usually caused by deep decay, cracks or repeated dental work. It ranges from mild and reversible to severe and irreversible.
  • gutta-perchaA 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.
  • 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.

Practise with graded reading

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