A root canal is both an anatomical part of a tooth and a dental treatment procedure:

• Anatomically, the root canal is the natural hollow space within the root of a tooth. It contains the pulp chamber, dental pulp (soft tissue made up of nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue), and the main canals running through the roots. The pulp provides nutrition and sensory function to the tooth

• As a dental procedure, a root canal treatment (also called endodontic therapy) is performed to repair and save a tooth that is badly damaged or infected instead of removing it. The treatment involves removing inflamed or infected pulp from inside the tooth's root canals, cleaning and disinfecting the canals, then filling and sealing them to prevent reinfection. This procedure eliminates bacteria and preserves the natural tooth structure

Root canal treatment is needed when the pulp becomes infected due to causes such as tooth decay, cracks, trauma, repeated dental work, or gum disease. If untreated, infection can cause pain, abscess, and spread to surrounding bone. Modern root canal procedures are generally not painful due to advances in anesthesia and techniques

. In summary, a root canal is the inner space of a tooth containing the pulp, and a root canal treatment is a dental procedure to remove infected pulp and save the tooth from extraction