Endodontics Flashcards
What are the two pain fibers in the pulp?
A delta and C fibers
Which fibers are large, myelinated nerves that are found mostly in the coronal pulp?
A delta
What kind of pain sensation are A delta fibers responsible for? C fibers?
A delta: quick, sharp, momentary pain, dissipates quickly
C fibers: dull, throbbing ache
What pain fibers are responsible for dentinal pain?
A delta
What pain fibers are responsible for pulpitis pain?
C fibers
What are the conduction velocities of A delta and C fibers?
A delta: 2-30 m/s
C fibers: 0-2 m/s
What are characteristics of C fibers? Where are they found?
small, unmyelinated nerves
found in the pulp stroma
How are A delta fibers stimulated? How are C fibers stimulated? What is the threshold for A delta and C fibers?
A delta: hydrodynamics; low threshold
C fibers: direct pulp damage; high threshold
When C fiber pain dominates, what does it signify?
irreversible local tissue damage
With increasing inflammation of pulp tissues, C fibers become the only pain feature. Explain why.
C fiber pain occurs with tissue injury and its mediated by inflammatory mediators, vascualr changes in blood, volume and flow; increasing in tissue pressure
What are the 6 classifications of pulpal disease?
- WNL
- Reversible pulpitis
- Irreversible pulpitis
- Asymptomatic Irreversible pulpitis
- Symptomatic Irreversible pulpitis
- Necrosis
What are the possible consequences of asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis? (2)
- hyperplastic pulpitis
2. internal resorption
Describe hyperplastic pulpitis. What is the proliferation attributed to?
Reddish cauliflower like growth of pulp tissue through and around a carious exposure.
Proliferation attributed to low grade, chronic irritation of the pulp and generous vascular supply characteristically found in young people
What is the histological appearance of internal resorption? What is the treatment?
chronic inflammatory cells, multinucleated giant cells adjacent to granulation tissue, and necrotic pulp coronal to resorptive defect
Treatment is to prevent anymore damage to tooth by performing root canal therapy ASAP.
What are characteristics of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis?
spontaneous, unprovoked, intermittent or continuous pain; lingering pain
What are the potential causes of necrosis?
- untreated irreversible pulpitis
- trauma
- any event that causes long term interruption of blood supply
___________________ of pulpal origin are inflammatory responses to irritants from the root canal system.
periradicular lesions
What are some symptoms of periradicular disease?
- slight sensitivity to chewing
- feeling of tooth elongation
- intense pain
- swelling
- high fever
- Malaise
What are the 5 classifications of periradicular disease?
- Acute periradicular periodontitis
- Chronic periradicular periodontits
- Acute periradicular abscess
- chronic periradicular abscess aka suppurative periradicular periodontits
- chronic focal sclerosing osteomyelitis aka condensing osteitis
Which of the periradicular disease does this description describe?
painful inflammation around the apex
acute periradicular periodontitis
acute periradicular periodontitis can be a result of what 3 events?
- extension of pulpal disease into periradicular tissue
- canal instrumentation and overfill
- occlusal trauma such as bruxism
Which of the periradicular disease does this description describe?
acute abscess, painful and purulent around the apex
the result of exacerbation of acute apical periodontitis from a necrotic pulp.
acute apical abscess
What radiograph characteristics do you find for acute apical abscess? Clinical characteristics?
Clinical: oral swelling only
Radiograph: relatively normal or slightly thickened lamina dura due to infection spreading rapidly beyond the confines of the cortical plate before demineralization can be detected radiographically
What kind of lesion is resulting from an infection and rapid tissue destruction arising from within chronic periradicular periodontitis ?
Phoenix abscess
What are the symptoms of phoenix abscess?
same as acute apical abscess
How can you tell the difference between a phoenix abscess and an acute apical abscess?
With phoenix you can see a periradicular radiolucency.
What are histo features of acute apical abscess?
Liquefaction necrosis containing neutrophils and other cellular debris; surrounded by macrophages and occasional lymphocytes and plasma cells. Bacteria are not always found at the apical tissues or within abscess cavity
What are the presenting signs and symptoms of acute apical abscess?
- rapid onset and swelling
- mod to severe pain
- pain with percussion and palpation
- slight increase in tooth mobility
- usually swelling remains localized however the infection may spread and diffuse widely becoming cellulitis
What periradicular diagnosis is the following: long standing, asymptomatic, asymptomatic or mildy asymptomatic lesion
Chronic periradicular periodontitis
What is the procedure you do to confirm if a tooth needs endo treatment or not especially in cases where this acute periradicular periodontitis occurs around both vital and non vital teeth?
Temperature testing
What do radiographs typically reveal for acute periradicular periodontitis?
Lamina dura may look slightly wider or the same
Tooth may be painful during percussion.
Which of the periradicular disease does this description describe? Long standing asymptomatic or mildy symptomatic lesion. May have slight tenderness to percussion.
chronic periradicular peridontitis
What does chronic periradicular peridontitis look like radiographically?
Typically find a RL lesion at apex
Diagnosis of chronic periradicular peridontitis is confirmed with these 3 things:
- general absence of symptoms
- radiographic presence of periradicular RL
- confirmation of pulpal necrosis
Which of the periradicular disease does this description describe? Associated with either a continuously or intermittently draining sinus tract without discomfort; the exudate can also drain through the gingival sulcus mimicking a “pocket. “
Chronic periradicular abscess
What are the clinical evidence of chronic periradicular abscess?
- draining sinus
- pulp test negative
- bone loss in periradicular area confirmed via radiograph
Which of the periradicular disease does this description describe? Excessive bone remineralization around apex asymptomatic, vital tooth?
Condensing osteitis
Why is there an increase in radiopacity for condensing osteitis?
chronic low grade inflammation
Treatment for condensing osteitis?
No need for root canal therapy
What are the only systemic considerations that contraindicate endo therapy?
- diabetes
2. MI in the past 6 months
When does it become easy for patients to determine location of pain? Why is it difficult for patients to locate pain if the inflammatory process does not reach the PDL?
When the inflammatory process reaches or effects the PDL.
If the inflammatory process only stays in the pulp, the pulp only has fibers that transmits pain and not location of pain. The PDL has proprioceptive fibers.
Pain from posterior teeth may be referred to where?
preauricular area, down the neck or up to the temple on the ipsilateral side
Where do maxillary molars refer pain to typically?
zygomatic, parietal, occipital regions of the head
Where do mandibular molars refer pain typically?
ear, angle of jaw, posterior regions of the neck
Where is the response coming from if a patient complains of dull, drawing or aching?
bone
Where is the response coming from if a patient complains of throbbing, pounding, pulsating?
vascular
Where is the response coming from if a patient complains of sharp, electric, recurrent, stabbing
nerve
What are characteristics of pulpal and periradicular pathoses?
aching, pulsing, throbbing, dull, gnawing, radiating, flashing, stabbing, or jolting pain
What does a percussion test tell us?
Indicates the presence of inflammation of the PDL and the extent of the inflammatory process
What are some OTHER factors that may cause percussive responses?
- rapid ortho movement
- hyperocclusion
- lateral periodontal abscess
When are thermal tests especially valuable?
When their pain is considered diffuse, helps pinpoint the source.
When conducting a thermal test, the patient does not respond to stimulus, what does this mean?
Necrotic pulp or a false negative from either an immature apex, excessive calcification or recent truama
When conducting a thermal test, the patient responds mild to moderate awareness of slight pain and subsides within 1-2 sec?
WNL
When conducting a thermal test, the patient responds with strong, momentary response that subsides 1-2 secs
Reversible pulpitis
When conducting a thermal test, the patient responds with moderate to strong painful response that lingers for several seconds longer after the stimulus have been removed
Irreversible pulpitis
When do you not use an electric pulp testing technique?
A patient with a pacemaker
During a radiographic exam for possibly an endo lesion what do you want to conduct?
involves exposure of two films at the same vertical angle with with a 10-15 degree change in horizontal angulation
What is the SLOB rule?
to determine which object is closer to the buccal surface; the object closer to the buccal surface appears to move in the direction opposite the movement of the tube.
Same
Lingual
Opposite
Buccal
What are the differentials when seeing a RL lesion?
- Vertical root fracture
- Lateral periodontal cyst
- Osteomyelitis
- Developmental cysts
- Traumatic bone cyst
- Ameloblastoma
- Cemental dysplasia
- Cementoblastoma
- Severe hypercementosis / condensing osteitis
- Central giant cell granuloma