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Endodontics Glossary

104 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026

Root Canal Sealer

Intermediate Technical IVT

A cementing agent used in conjunction with a core filling material to seal the root canal system and occlude accessory canals and irregularities.

Showing 25–48 of 104

Cyclic Fatigue

Advanced Technical IVT

The progressive structural failure of a rotary endodontic file caused by repeated tension-compression stress cycles as i...

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Danger Zone

Advanced Technical IVT

The thin concave inner wall of a curved root canal, typically the furcal surface of mesial molar roots, at greatest risk...

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Dentin Hypersensitivity

Intermediate Technical IVT

A sharp, transient dental pain arising from exposed dentine in response to thermal, osmotic, evaporative, or mechanical...

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Dentinal Crack

Advanced Technical IVT

A microscopic or visible fracture line confined to the dentinal walls of the root canal, not extending through the full...

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Dentinal Tubules

Intermediate Technical IVT

Microscopic channels that traverse the dentine from the pulp chamber to the outer dentino-enamel or dentino-cemental jun...

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EAL

Intermediate Technical IVT

Abbreviation for Electronic Apex Locator, a device that uses electrical impedance measurements to determine the working...

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EDTA

Intermediate Technical IVT

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; a chelating irrigant used in endodontics to remove the inorganic component of the smear...

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Electronic Apex Locator

Intermediate Technical IVT

An electronic device that measures electrical impedance or frequency to determine the position of the apical foramen dur...

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Endo-Perio Lesion

Advanced Technical IVT

A pathological communication between endodontic and periodontal disease processes involving the pulp space and the perio...

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Endodontic Triad

Intermediate Semi-formal IVT

The three foundational principles of successful root canal treatment: shaping, cleaning, and obturation of the root cana...

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Flare-Up

Basic Semi-formal IVT

An acute exacerbation of pain and/or swelling occurring between endodontic appointments or following treatment, requirin...

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Furcation Involvement

Intermediate Technical IVT

The extension of periradicular or periodontal pathology into the furcation area of a multi-rooted tooth, relevant to bot...

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Furcation Perforation

Advanced Technical IVT

An iatrogenic or pathological communication between the root canal system and the periodontal ligament space occurring a...

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GG Drill

Intermediate Technical IVT

A Gates-Glidden drill; a flame-shaped rotary bur used in endodontics to enlarge the coronal and middle thirds of a root...

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Glide Path

Intermediate Technical IVT

A smooth, continuous, reproducible channel from the canal orifice to the apical foramen, established before rotary instr...

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Gutta-Percha

Intermediate Technical IVT

A natural thermoplastic polymer derived from the Palaquium tree, used as the primary core material for root canal obtura...

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Hydraulic Sealer

Advanced Technical IVT

A bioceramic or calcium silicate-based root canal sealer that sets in the presence of moisture and expands slightly to c...

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Internal Root Resorption

Advanced Technical IVT

A pathological process in which dentoclastic cells destroy dentine from within the pulp canal, producing a characteristi...

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Intracanal Medicament

Intermediate Technical IVT

An antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory agent placed within the root canal between appointments to reduce bacterial load a...

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Irreversible Pulpitis

Intermediate Technical IVT

A clinical diagnosis indicating that the dental pulp is inflamed beyond its capacity to heal, necessitating endodontic t...

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ISO Size

Basic Technical IVT

A standardised numerical designation for the diameter of an endodontic instrument tip, expressed in hundredths of a mill...

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Isthmus

Advanced Technical IVT

A narrow ribbon-shaped communication or corridor between two root canals within the same root, forming part of the compl...

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Lateral Canal

Intermediate Technical IVT

An accessory branch of the main root canal that extends laterally through the dentine to the periodontal ligament space,...

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Ledge

Intermediate Technical IVT

An iatrogenic shelf of dentine created on the canal wall when an instrument deviates from the original canal path, obstr...

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Showing 25–48 of 104

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