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root canal
noun
: the part of the pulp cavity lying in the root of a tooth
also
: a dental operation to save a tooth by removing the contents of its root canal and filling the cavity with a protective substance
Examples of root canal in a Sentence
I need to have a root canal.
Recent Examples on the Web
While there’s nothing like feeling settled in your new home, the physical act of packing all your stuff (sorting, tossing, and organizing it in boxes) and then unpacking it in another residence ranks somewhere between a root canal and filing taxes.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, Architectural Digest, 3 Jan. 2025
One person is in charge of a root canal, someone else is setting the broken foot, another person is working on a displaced shoulder, and still another is getting rid of a gallstone.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
The Pennsylvania mom needed root canals and crowns for two molars to get rid of the pain-triggering infection.
—Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2024
While general dentists typically perform preventive care and routine dental procedures, endodontists focus on tooth-saving diagnoses and treatments, including root canals and other surgeries.
—Cristina Mutchler, Health, 5 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1864, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near root canal
Cite this Entry
“Root canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20canal. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
root canal
noun
: the space in the root of a tooth that contains soft sensitive tissue
also
: a dental procedure to save a tooth by removing this tissue when diseased or injured and filling the space with a protective material
Medical Definition
root canal
noun1
: the part of the pulp cavity lying in the root of a tooth
called also pulp canal
2
: a dental operation to save a tooth by removing the contents of its root canal and filling the cavity with a protective substance (as gutta-percha)
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