In medicine and dentistry, endodontics or the treatment of radicular ducts belongs to all therapeutic treatments practised in the dentine-pulp complex of a dental organ.

It is also a dentistry specialty that has been recognised since 1963 by the American Dental Association.

It could be said to cover everything from direct pulp protection to the total extirpation of the nerve. It is applied to dental fractures, with deep or damaged caries in the pulp tissue (lax connective tissue) in which there is symptomology characteristic of pulpitis (classification of pulp lesions). This lesion may be reversible (with pulp protection endodontic manoeuvres the pulpar inflammatory process can be reversed) or irreversible, when the only therapeutic option is the total extirpation of the nerve, and the tri-dimensional sealing of the dental duct. Total bio-pulpectomies are also performed on teeth for prosthetic purposes (fixed prostheses).

Access is gained to the pulpar chamber and the manual removal of the pulp is performed. Subsequently, the chamber is cleaned, enlarged and shaped, in order words the medical cleaning of the pulpar chamber and the radicular ducts, to subsequently proceed with their sealing. The dental stump is restored or reconstructed with amalgam or composite, sometimes it is necessary to insert a pin, post or die cast nucleus and lastly it is covered with a crown if necessary but extremely desirable in posterior teeth due to the great masticatory load carried daily. It also handles the surgical and therapeutic procedures involved in the protection of the dental pulp.