title: Diaphonization: a recipe to study teeth.
abstract: There are various techniques to study root canal morphology and diaphonization is one of them. There are various methods of decalcification and diaphonization, cited in literature and the main aim of this paper was to give a brief account of the various techniques and share our experience of the technique at a teaching institution in Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
  
  Diaphonization is one of the oldest methods and is based on decalcification of teeth followed by clearing and dye penetration. The specimen is later studied under microscope without sectioning.
  
  
  
  After the process of clearing a three-dimensional (3D) structure of the internal canal anatomy was visible with naked eye.
  
  
  
  This paper entails a detailed historical background as well as the author's technique including percentages of various chemicals used and the timing of immersion of teeth into these agents.
  
  
  
  The read out is simple and can be subjected to interpretation by direct observation under microscope and can be helpful for students undertaking research in not only the discipline of dentistry but also in other fields such as botany and zoology.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Operative Dentistry, Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Karachi 74800, Pakistan, Phone: +92 3212672957, e-mail: dr.k.rehman@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Farhan Raza
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Juma Research Laboratory, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Habib
mesh_terms: D019840:2-Propanol / Q000737:chemistry; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003648:Decalcification Technique / Q000379:methods*; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005404:Fixatives / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D017942:Nitric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D012459:Salicylates / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods; D014992:Xylenes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D005404:Fixatives; D012459:Salicylates; D014992:Xylenes; D017942:Nitric Acid; C033069:methyl salicylate; D019840:2-Propanol
keywords: Diaphonization; Clearing technique; Root canal morphology; Vertucci classification.