ABSTRACT
A clear understanding of pulp anatomy and the variations that occur in it are essential if effective cleaning, shaping and obturation of the pulp space are to be achieved. Many problems that occur during root canal treatment result from poor knowledge of this anatomy: missed canals, perforation of the pulp floor or canal transportation. If the clinician can imagine a three-dimensional picture of the root canal system prior to instrumentation then iatrogenic errors are less likely to occur. The practitioner should be aware of how many canals to expect, their location, length and relationship to each other.
