Evaluation of different methods for the root-end cavity preparation.
OBJECTIVE
The dentinal walls of root-end cavities were examined for the presence of cracks and debris in correlation with the area of the root surfaces that remained after the resection.


METHODS
One hundred extracted single-rooted teeth were endodontically treated, mounted in acrylic resin blocks, and the apical 2 mm of the root-apex was resected. According to the resected root surface area the teeth were divided into 2 groups having large (>2 mm(2)) or small (<2 mm(2)) surface area. For retrograde cavity preparation 4 devices were used: slow-speed handpiece, diamond coated stainless steel ultrasonic tip, smooth stainless steel ultrasonic tips, and sonic diamond-coated tips. Teeth were examined under a videomicroscope for the presence of fractures, dentin chips, and gutta-percha remnants on cavity walls. Preparation time was also recorded.


RESULTS
Preparation with smooth stainless steel ultrasonic tips produced few intradentin cracks. Dentin debris was more frequently seen in rotary preparations whereas gutta-percha remnants were seen mainly at ultrasonically prepared teeth.


CONCLUSIONS
Sonic and ultrasonic devices produced cleaner, well-centered, and more conservative root-end cavities than the rotary instrumentation. Cracks do not correlate directly with the surface area of the root-end surfaces but rather with the type of retrotip used to prepare the root-end cavity.
Department of Endodontics, Dental School, University of Athens, Greece. mhabbaz@cc.uoa.gr
Marouan G
MG
Khabbaz
Nikolaos P
NP
Kerezoudis
Evanthia
E
Aroni
Vasilios
V
Tsatsas
D001047:Apicoectomy; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000473:pathology; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology; D018130:Diamond / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D009811:Odontometry; D012184:Retrograde Obturation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000473:pathology*; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation
D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D013193:Stainless Steel; D018130:Diamond; D006171:Gutta-Percha