Endodontics 1 Flashcards
What are the aims of the root canal preparation?
- remove microbes and pulpal debris
- create sufficient space for irrigation and medication
- preserve integrity and location of apical canal anatomy
- avoid iatrogenic damage to canal anatomy
- facilitate canal filling
- avoid further irritation or infection to periapical tissues
- preserve sound root dentine to allow long term function of tooth
What are the stages of a root canal treatment?
- pre operative diagnostic radiograph including estimated working length
- preparation of tooth for RCT
- access cavity and location of RC entrances
- create straight line access
- initial negotiation and coronal flaring
- chemical preparation
- corrected working length determination
- apical preparation
- obturation
What information can we get from a pre-operative (diagnostic) radiograph?
- external morphology
- number of canals
- length, direction and degree of curvature
- branching, lateral canals
- position of pulp chanber in relation to external surface
- estimated working length
What is the estimated working length?
length between the coronal referece point and the apical limit of the preparation
(apical limit of preparation should be 1mm short of the radiographic apex)
What is the anatomical apex?
it is the endpoint of the root
Why is the dentino-cemental junction considered the ideal end-point for the root canal preparation?
this is because it is considered to be the transition from endodontium to periodontium
this junction is strictly histological and impossible to locate clinically
Numerous studies have shown that the foramen is generally not in the centre but may be situated on the lateral side of the root. True or fasle
true
What is the apical constriction?
it is the narrowest part of the canal
(last few millimetres)
What is the use of the anatomical landmark of the apical constriction
- assume periodontum starts here as we cannot clinically identify dentinocemental junction
- consider preparing or filling beyond this point overfilling/overinstrumentation
The working length of a root canal preparation should be ____ from the radiographic apex. Why is this ?
2mm
accounts for foramen distance and radiographic image distortion
It was thought for a long time that the dentinocemental junction/apical constriction are located at an average of 1mm from the radiographic apex hence the preparation to 1mm of the radiographic apex. Why is this technique no longer reliable?
- dentinocemental junction is rarely located at the apical constriction
- thickness of cementum varies greatly from one tooth to another and between patients
- thickness of cememtum changes with physiology; cementum thickness increases with ageing; and pathology (apical resorption related to the canal)
The apical constriction is not always located 0.5-1mm from the radiographic apex. True or false
true
can be 3mm away from the radiographic apex
How should you prep tooth for RCT?
- remove all caries or defective restorations; must be done before opening the pulp chamber
- place provisional restoration in broken down teeth for rubber dam application
What is the benefit of using rubber dam for RCT?
- improve visibility
- prevent microbial (saliva) contamination
- soft tissue protection (lips and cheek)
- confine excess irrigant
- reduce risk of inhalation/ingestion of instruments/irrigants
- improved patient comfort
- reduce liability im medico-legal case
How should you create your access cavities?
- remove the entire roof of the pulp chamber including pulp horns
- shape of access cavity is determined by number of canals and the location of the canals
How many canals are present in the maxillar upper first molar? Name them
4
MB1
MB2
DB
palatal
How can you tell have penetrated the roof of the pulp chamber when preparing the access cavity?
a sudden drop is felt
What instrument is used to widen the access to create a smooth-walled preparation?
Endo Z bur
What is the benefit of a widened access cavity?
- allows visualisation of the canal orifice
- allows unimpeded straight line accesss
What is the benefit of using an endo-z bur to widen the access cavity?
- prevents perforation of the pulp floor
- damaging the pulp floor prevents access to the canals (debris blocking the canals
State the characteristics of an endodontic explorer
- double ended
- long, sharp tips
What is the purpose of the endodontic explorer?
used to check:
* accessibility of the orifice
* location of orifice
What are the characteristics of a front surface mirror?
- reflective surface at the front of the glass
- does not produce double images as standard mirrors do
What is the benefit of straight line access?
- reduces stress on instruments
- reduces chances of procedural errors
- simplified treatment by providing a clear path of insertion for instruments
List some ways in which straight line access can be reached
- removal of overhanging dentine - remove pulp horns
- remove any dentine lips
Gve examples of iatrogenic damage caused by root canal preparation
- ledge
- perforation
- strip perforation
- Zipping
dentine mud
What does zipping refer to in endodontics?
refers to transportation (movement away) away from the apical preparation due to the file straigening
The elbow then becomes the narrowest part of the canal which is where obturation reaches
List the preparation techniques for a RCT
- step back
- crown down
- double flare
- modified double flare
What are the phases of the double flare technique ?
- crown down- coronal 1/3 prepared
- apical enlargment- apical 1/3 prepared
- step back- apical preparation
What does the modified double flared technique entail?
- initial negotiation and coronal flaring using handfiles or gates glidden
- apical enlargment at WL until cutting clean dentine
- step back
What is the benefit of the crown down technique (preparation of the coronal 1/3)?
- removes infected pulpal tissue /debris
- prevents microbes from being introduced to apical area
- coronal obstructions removed
- straigtening of coronal section
- provides a resevoir for irrigant
- reduces risk of apical blockages
- working length maintained through subsequent preparation
- allows for better apical tactile feedback
List characteristics of gates glidden drills
- side cutting/non cutting tips
- there are six size shown by the number of bands on the side
- not flexible thus only used in straight part of cannal
- long shanks- prone to fractures at the neck
- aggressive- can easily remove dentine especially size 4s
What design features of the synrine prevents needle seperating during irrigation?
Luer-lock
What type of needles are used for irrigation?Why is this
27-30 G side vented needles
they prevent irrigant from being pushed through the apex
How far should you be able to insert your irrigant needle?
2-3mm of the working length
How does the irrigant reach the working length of the canal?
a small size 8/10 k-file can be used to agitate the irrigant to the working length
recaptulation essentially
List the characteristics of the ideal irrigant
- antimicrobial
- cheap
- dissolves pulpal tissue
- removes smear layer
- easy to use
- long shelf life
- low surface tension
- non staining
- non- cytotoxic
- compatible with dentine
- substantive
- tissue friendly
- non-toxic
- non- corrosive to instruments
Give characteteristic of NaOCl solution
- effective antimicrobial
- dissolves pulpal tissue and organic matter
- toxic
- not substantive
- discolours
- corrodes instrumets
- unpleasant odour
- ineffective in smear layer removal
What is a substantive antimicrobial agent?
this is one that is able to attach to hydroxyapatitite containing tissues and be released gradually
What gives the antimicrobial effect of NaOCl?
free chlorine iones break down bacterial proteins into amino acids
Why is regular replenishment and agitation of NaOCl required?
maintain Chlorine ions
agitation to maximise dissolution of organic debris
What is the concentration of NaOCl recommended?
0.5-3% usually recommended
Higher concentrations of NaOCl are effective against what microorganism?
E. faecalis
The volume of NaOCl uses is more critical than the concentration chosen. True or false
true
Whatare the symptoms of NaOCl accident?
- acute severe swelling and pain
- profuse bleeding from canal
- taste of chlorine and throat irritation
- bruising or ecchymosis of skin or mucosa
- longer term parasthesia or anaesthesia
How would you manage acute severe pain and swelling following a NaOCl accident?
- inform patient
- swelling may reduce
- provide analgesics and antibiotics
How would you manage profuse bleeding from the canal following a NaOCl accident?
- irrigate with saline
- dry
- apply temporary dressing
How would you manage taste of chlorine and throat irritation following a NaOCl accident?
patient to drink water and milk
How would you manage bruising or ecchymosis of skin or mucosa following a NaOCl accident?
- apply cold compress
- advise may take a week for bruising to subside
How would you manage longer term parasthesia or anaestheria following a NaOCl accident?
refer to hospital and inform patient
What should you do following a NaOCl accident in general?
recall 1- days and review symptoms
complete RCT when symptom free or refer to specialist
Taste of chlorine or throat irritation from NaOCl is an indication of …
presence of NaOCl in the maxillary sinus
What is the potential benefit of CHX over NaOCl as an endo irrigant?
- extremely low level of tissue toxicity
- substantive antibacterial activity (binds to hydroxyapatite containing tissue)- last up to 12 hours
- more effective against G+ve such as E faecalis
What are the limitations of CHX as an irrigant?
- inability to dissolve organic matter (necrotic pulps)
- no action on the smear layer (minerals)
What does the smear layer contain?
Minerals
Organic matter (carbon containing compounds)
Why is EDTA able to remove the smear layer?
it reacts with the metal ions (minerals) contained in the smear layer e.g. calcium
What is the benefit of using EDTA as an irrigant?
it can help negotiate sclerotic canals
sclerotic canals - narrow due to deposition of tooth structure (hydroxyapaptite) so EDTA can bind
What are the limitations to using EDTA as an irrigant?
- if remains too long on the tooth it weakens the tooth and increases leakage (binding to Ca2+)
- it has no antibacterial effect
What is the benefit of a combination of EDTA and NaOCl?
- synergistic effect
- effective removal of the smear layer
Why is EDTA and NaOCl not used together?
this is because EDTA interacts with NaOC and this reduced the amount of chlorine ions available
this compromised the tissue dissolving and antibacterial abilities of NaOCl
How can EDTA and NaOCl be used?
- alternate use of NaOCl and EDTA
- copious amounts of NaOCl used to wash remnant of EDTA
*
What is the benefit of using Iodine as an irrigant?
E facecalis
C albicans
antiviral
State an advantage and disadvantage of using citric acid as an irrigant
- removes smear layer
- reacts with NaOCl so reduces available chrlorine
Define the smear layer
surface film of debris retained on dentine or other surfaces of instrumentation
consists of dentine particles, remnants of vital or necrotic pulp tissue, bacterial components and retained irrigant
What is the benefit of smear layer removal?
- ZOE (medicament) able to penetrate dentinal tubules
- may improve the seal and reduce leakage (affects the bond of sealers)
- may act as a barrier to irrigant penetration
State some advantages of leaving the smear layer
- slow bacterial invasion
- blocks dentinal tubules that are difficult to clean
- inhibitory effect on bacterial growth
What does patency filing refer to?
the use of a small file through the apical foramen during canal preparation to prevent blockage of the apical part of the canal by debris
What are the standard lengths of K files?
21mm
25mm
31mm
What is the length of the cutting blades of the handfiles?
16mm regardless of the legth of the file
Give examples of techniques used for instrument manipulation
- watch winding technique
- circumferential technique (push-pull)
- balanced force technique