title: Detection rate of root canal orifices with a microscope.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the detection rate of root canal orifices by three different methods: naked eye, with surgical loupes, and under a microscope. Two undergraduate dental students located the orifices of 260 teeth by using the above-mentioned methods. Then, India ink was injected into the pulp chamber and all teeth were cleared to determine the actual number of the orifices. There was a significant difference in the detection rate among the three methods (p < 0.01, chi-square test); the microscopic method could more accurately detect orifices than the others could. Surgical loupes were relatively ineffective compared with the microscopic method for detecting orifices.
authors.affiliation: Pulp Biology and Endodontics, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: Takatomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suda
mesh_terms: D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses; D008853:Microscopy; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000379:methods*