Endo Flashcards
Checklist for radiographic assessment of root filled tooth
Root filing - length, quality, voids
Missed root canals
Shape of canal
Patency
Bone support
Crown to root ratio
Pathology
Clinical assessment of root filled tooth checklist
Coronal seal
Amount of remaining tooth structure
Is the tooth restorable?
Swelling
Sinus
TTP
Buccal sulcus
Mobility
Increased pocketing
Perio disease
Root fractures
Potential problems after a RCT
Amount of remaining tooth structure
Lack of or no ferrule
Wide post holes
Endo complications - fractured instruments, perforations, short/long root fillings
Do teeth become more brittle after RCT?
No
What is coronal microleakage?
Ingress of oral micro-organisms into the root canal system
When should a tooth be re-root treated?
Unrestored for 3 months
How to help prevent coronal microleakage?
After trimming GP to ACJ, place RMGIC over pulp floor and root canal openings
Why is a coronal seal important?
Prevents saliva, bacteria, and bacterial byproducts into the canal system and reaching the periradicular tissues
Anterior restoration options for endodontically treated tooth (3)
Core build up with crown
Bleaching
Composite restoration
What is a post/core?
Core provides retention for crown, post retains the core
Gains interradicular support for a definitive restoration
Posts do not strengthen or reinforce teeth, preparation of the root canal for a post weakens the tooth
What are the components of a post/core and where are they placed?
Post - placed in the root canal
Core - What the prosthesis is cemented to
Guidelines for post placement - root filling length
4-5mm root filling apically
Guidelines for post placement - post width
No more than 1/3 of root width at narrowest point and 1mm of remaining circumferential coronal dentine
The ideal post (3)
Parallel sided
Non threaded
Cement retained
Classification of posts (3)
Manufacture - pre formed/ pre fabricated or custom
Material - cast metal, steel, zirconia, carbon/glass fibre
Shape - parallel sided or tapered
What is a core build up?
Internal part of tooth is built up with restorative material to replace lost tooth tissue
Provides retention for definitive restorations
Core materials (3)
Composite
Amalgam
Glass ionomer
Composite as a core material
Good aesthetics
Bonds to tooth
Moisture control important
Most common
Used with fibre posts
Amalgam as a core material
Tend to avoid - retention required
Poor aesthetics
Need 24 hours to set
Glass ionomer as a core material
Not really used as it absorbs water and core expands
Checklist for design of restoration over post/core
How long will post be?
Have you got a ferrule?
How wide
3-5mm remaining GP
Is canal straight?
How much space for the core
Type of crown to be placed
Definition - ferrule effect
A band that extends the external dimension of a residual tooth structure
How many roots in maxillary teeth
1 - 1
2 - 1
3 - 1
4 - 2 (95%), can be 1/3
5 - 1 (75%) or 2 (24%) can be 3
6 - 3 (93%) or 4
7 - 3 (63%) or 4
Roots in mandibular teeth
1 - 1
2 - 1
3 - 1 (95%) or 1/3
4 - 1 (73%) or 2
5 - 1 (85%) or 2
6 - 3 (67%) or 4
7 - 3 (79%) or 2 (13%) or 3
Hydrodynamic theory
Generation of movement of tubular fluid leads to activation of the mechanoreceptors in the nerve fibres of the superficial pulp.
this in turn leads to activation of the nerve fibres
Which nerve fibres are responsible for sharp pain of short duration?
A - beta and A - delta
Which nerves are responsible for dull, throbbing pain or long duration?
C fibres
What makes biofilms resistant to antimicrobials?
Fail to penetrate beyond the surface layers of the biofilm
May be trapped and destroyed by enzymes
Many not be active against non-growing micro-organisms
Expression of biofilm specific resistance genes
Stress response to hostile environmental conditions (over expression of antimicrobial destroying enzymes)
What are the two main clinical objectives of root canal treatment?
Removing canal contents
Eliminating infection
What are the three main design objectives in RCT?
Create a continuously tapering funnel shape
Maintain apical foramen in original position
Keep apical opening as small as possible
What are the uses/advantages of dental dam in RCT?
Prevents contamination
Airway protection
Allows use of toxic disinfectants
Improve vision and acces
How can you describe pain?
Unpleasant feeling often caused by intense/damaging stimuli
What are the 3 branches of the trigeminal nerve?
Opthalmic
Maxillary
Mandibular
Average life of an endo treated tooth?
7-10 years
What could spontaneous pain be a symptom of?
Irreversible pulpitis
What might pain causing sleep deprivation be a sign of?
Irreversible pulpitis
What might a lack of response to painkillers be a sign of?
Irreversible pulpitis
Define referred pain
The perception of pain on one part of the body that is distant to the source of the pain
Where might posterior teeth refer pain to?
Opposite arch or peri-auricular area (more common in the mandible) but always on ipsilateral side
What should be taken note of when performing intra-oral exam of endodontically involved tooth?
Intra-oral swelling
Sinus
TTPalpation
Percussion notes
Mobility
Perio exam
How do hot and cold tests work?
Utilise hydrodynamic theory to check if response to hot or cold stimuli
Which fibres are mostly stimulated in an EPT?
A delta fibres (fast conducting)
(C fibres may or may not be stimulated)
Steps in carrying out an EPT
Dry and isolate teeth
Use conducting medium such as toothpaste
Place probe on incisal edge or cusp tip
Patient hold other end to complete circuit
Current slowly increased until response generated
What other tests may be used on endodontically involved teeth apart from sensibility testing?
Bite test - pressure to give indication if tooth is fractured or not
Test cavity
Staining and transillumination
Selective anaesthesia
What components are required in the diagnosis of an endodontically involved tooth?
Crown of tooth
Pulp diagnosis
Periapical diagnosis
Define normal pulp
Symptom free and normally responsive to pulp testing (mild or transient response to thermal cold, lasting no more than 1-2 seconds after stimulus is achieved)
What are the key components, signs and symptoms in reversible pulpitis?
Discomfort when stimulus applied only lasting a few seconds due to exposed dentine, caries or deep restorations
No significant radiographic findings in PA region
Pain not spontaneous
Inflammation should resolve following management of aetiology
Key components/signs/symptoms of irreversible pulpitis?
Vital inflamed pulp that is incapable of healing - RCT indicated
May include sharp pain on thermal stimulus, lingering pain (30 sec+ from removal of stimulus)
Spontaneous or referred pain
Pain may be worse on lying down/bending over
OTC analgesics typically ineffective
Sleep may be disturbed
Aetiology may be deep caries, extensive restorations or fractures
Inflammation may not have reached PA tissues and so may not be TTP
Key signs/symptoms of asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis
Vital inflamed pulp that is incapable of healing - RCT indicated
No clinical symptoms
Usually responds normally to thermal testing
May have had trauma or deep caries that would result in pulp exposure following removal
Key signs/symptoms of pulp necrosis?
Death of the dental pulp - RCT indicated
Non - responsive to pulp testing
Asymptomatic
Does not by itself cause apical periodontitis (TTP or radiographic evidence of bone breakdown) unless canal is infected
What are the key signs and symptoms of previously root treated teeth?
Tooth previously endodontically treated with root canal obturation with material other than intracanal medicament
Tooth doesn’t respond to sensibility testing
Key findings in tooth with previously initiated therapy?
Tooth previously treated by partial endodontic therapy such as pulpotomy or pulpectomy
May or may not respond to pulp testing depending on level of therapy
Possible apical diagnoses
Normal apical tissues
Symptomatic apical periodontitis
Asymptomatic apical periodontitis
Chronic apical abscess
Acute apical abscess
Condensing osteitis
Key signs of normal apical tissues
Not sensitive to percussion or palpation
Rx - lamina dura intact and uniform PDL space
Key signs of symptomatic apical periodontitis
Inflammation, usually of apical PDL
Painful response to biting and/or percussion/palpation (severe pain to percussion - degenerating pulp, RCT needed)
May or may not be RX changes, normal width of PDL or PA radiolucency
Key signs of asymptomatic apical periodontitis
Inflammation and destruction of apical PDL of pulpal origin
No clinical symptoms - no pain and not TTP
Rx - apical radiolucency
Key signs of chronic apical abscess
Inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection and necrosis
Characterised by gradual onset, little or no discomfort and intermittent discharge of pus through an associated sinus tract
Rx - signs of osseous destruction - radiolucency
Sinus tracing possible
Key signs of acute apical abscess
Inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection and necrosis
Characterised by rapid onset, spontaneous pain, extreme tenderness to pressure, pus formation and swelling of associated tissue
RX - may be no signs of osseous destruction
May experience malaise, fever and lymphadenopathy
Key signs of condensing osteitis
Diffuse radiopaque lesion representing a localised bony reaction to a low grade inflammatory stimulus, usually seen at the apex of the tooth
What are the endodontic treatment options?
Leave and monitor
RCT
Re - RCT
Extraction
Surgical intervention/endodontics
How long after an MI should you wait to do endo treatment?
6 months
(emergency treatment - consult cardiologist)
If pt is allergic to latex, what is used for dental dam?
What must be considered in this case?
Vinyl dam - be aware some solvents may dissolve specific types of dental dam
If a mixed endo-perio lesion is found in a non-vital tooth, what order should treatment be completed in?
RCT
Observe response and give perio therapy as necessary
What degree of caries would be considered as rendering the tooth unrestorable?
Sub- osseous caries (below crestal bone level)
Aside from restorability and PDL condition, what other consideration prior to endo treatment?
Calcification - want to be able to see pulp chambers clearly
Dilacerations
Resorption (internal continuous with the canal but external superimposed on canal) -if end of root resorbed difficult to control irrigant and obturate
Ability to isolate tooth
Unusual anatomy
Ledges and perforations
Posts
Separated instruments
What is assumed when there is loss of vision of the canal before the apex of the tooth?
The canal has divided into two
Why may ledges occur in RCT?
RCT involves inserting straight file into curved canal and so will want to go straight down, causing a ledge
What options are available for assessing operator ability to carry out an RCT case?
- Simple formula - root number of chronic/acute
- American association of endodontics - endodontic case difficulty assessment form; minimum, moderate and high degree of difficulty
- Restorative Dentistry index of treatment need - complexity assessment
Outline some risks associated with endo treatment
Perforation
Instrument separation
Pain
What are the two main concepts/stages in chemomechanical disinfection?
Cleaning - removal of organic pulpal debris, microorganisms and toxins
Shaping - controlled removal of dentine to give a tapering shape that can be sealed throughout its length with a RCF
7 stages of mechanical preparation
Prep of tooth
Access cavity prep
Creating straight line access
Initial negotiations
Coronal flaring
Working length determination
Apical preparation
What are the laws of symmetry of the pulp chamber floor?
Except maxillary molars, the orifices of the canal are equidistant from a line drawn in a mesio-distal direction
Except for maxillary molars, the orifices lie on a line perpendicular to the line drawn in the mesio-distal direction across
What is the law of colour change of the pulp chamber?
Colour of the floor is always darker than the walls
What are the laws of orifice location?
Orifices are always located at junction of walls and floor
Orifices are located at the angles of the floor-wall junction
Orifices are located at the terminus of the root development fusion lines
What instrument can be used to locate the canal orifices and negotiate the coronal portion?
DG16
What does coronal preparation do and allow?
Gives unrestricted access apically
Removed bulk of infected materials
Creates reservoir for irrigant
Improves tactile feedback
Where should the working length be?
At the narrowest part of the canal, known as the apical constriction, as close to the cemento-roto canal junction as possible
What is the aim of the modified double flare technique?
To create a continuously tapering, funnelled root canal without forcing intra-canal debris apically and without changing the basic shape/direction of the canal
How many sizes from the apical gauging file used should you go when preparing the canal?
2 sizes up
How does step back technique work?
For every 1mm away from the working length you step back, the ISO file should be increased by one size
What does mechanical preparation allow?
Irrigating solution and medicament to more effectively reach and eliminate micro-organisms from the apical portion of the root canal system
What are the objectives for irrigation?
Disinfect canal
Remove organic debris
Flush out debris
Lubricate RC instruments
Remove endodontic smear layer
What are the modes of action of sodium hypochlorite?
Antimicrobial - acid environment shifts equilibrium towards hypochlorous acid formation which kills bacteria
Dissolves pulp remnants
Dissolves necrotic and vital tissue - only irrigant which can dissolve organic material
Acts on organism component of smear layer
What % of sodium hypochlorite should be used?
3% (2.5-5.5% acceptable
Sodium hypochlorite disadvantages
Unpleasant taste
Possible toxicity
Can’t remove smear layer by itself
Organic material can prevent antimicrobial action
(Possible negative effects on dentine properties)
What is smear layer formation and what are the problems with it?
1-5micrometer layer of organic pulpal material and dental debris formed during canal prep.
Leads to bacterial contamination
Acts as a substrate
Interferes with disinfection
Prevents sealer penetration
What is EDTA used for and at what concentration and duration?
Removes smear layer
17% solution
1 minute
What alternative irrigation may be used instead of sodium hypochlorite, how does it work and what is its disadvantage?
Chlorohexidine Digluconate
Antibacterial - may be similar action to NaOCl or may interact with bacterial cell wall, alter equilibrium and cause cell wall to rupture
Less anti-fungal activity than NAOCl, can’t disrupt biofilms
CHX sensitivity is possible - risk of reaction
Antimicrobial substantivity - absorption prevents colonisation event after time of application
Possible uses of intra-canal medicaments
Placed in root between visits to destroy micro-organisms, prevent reinfection, reduce inflammation and exudate and control root resorption
What is found in anti-microbial ledermix paste and when might it be used?
Corticosteroid and tetracycline
Used in management of hot pulp as may aid in reducing pulpal inflammation
5-7 day activity
How does non setting CaOH work as intra-canal medicament?
High pH for antibacterial activity
Effective in removing debris
Treatment for 7 days
Options for temporary dressing to seal canal between visits?
Cavit, IRN, Polycarboxylate cements, GI cements
What are the aims of instrumentation of the canal?
Remove infected soft and hard tissue
Give irrigant access to apical canal space
Create space for medicament and subsequent obturation materials
Retain integrity of radicular structures
Define estimated working length
Estimated length at which instrumentation should be limited
Obtained by measuring pre-op radiograph to determine distance between coronal reference point and radiographic apex then subtracting 1mm
Define correct working length
Length at which instrument and subsequent obturation should be limited
Obtained by the use of an electron apex locator and/or working length radiograph