A root canal is the narrow channel running through the root of a tooth from the pulp chamber to the apical foramen at the root tip. It contains the radicular pulp, with its blood vessels and nerves. Each root has at least one canal, and many have extra canals, side branches and connecting fins.
| Location | Within each tooth root, running from the canal orifice in the floor of the pulp chamber to the apical foramen |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Superior alveolar nerves (upper teeth); Inferior alveolar nerve (lower teeth) |
| Blood Supply | Dental branches of the superior and inferior alveolar arteries |
| Venous drainage |
|
Carries the vessels and nerves of the pulp between the jaw and the pulp chamber.
Root canal treatment (endodontics) cleans, shapes and seals the canals when the pulp is irreversibly inflamed or dead. Missing an extra canal, such as a second canal in the mesiobuccal root of the upper first molar, is a common cause of treatment failure. Infection that escapes through the apical foramen inflames the surrounding bone and appears as a dark area at the root tip on X-ray.
Inflammation and bone loss around the root tip caused by infection spreading from a dead pulp through the root canal.
Lengthwise crack in the root, more common in heavily restored or root-filled teeth, usually requiring extraction.
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