Apical surgery for a mandibular molar is still challenging for many reasons. This report describes the applications of computer-guided cortical ‘bone-window technique’ using piezoelectric saws that prevented any nerve damage in performing endodontic microsurgery of a mandibular molar. A 49-year-old woman presented with gumboil on tooth #36 (previously endodontically treated tooth) and was diagnosed with chronic apical abscess. Periapical lesions were confirmed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Endodontic microsurgery for the mesial and distal roots of tooth #36 was planned. Following the transfer of data of the CBCT images and the scanned cast to an implant surgical planning program, data from both devices were merged. A surgical stent was designed, on the superimposed three-dimensional model, to guide the preparation of a cortical window on the buccal side of tooth #36. Endodontic microsurgery was performed with a printed surgical template. Minimal osteotomy was required and preservation of the buccal cortical plate rendered this endodontic surgery less traumatic. No postoperative complications such as mental nerve damage were reported. Window technique guided by a computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture based surgical template can be considerably useful in endodontic microsurgery in complicated cases.

The first part of this study reviewed the characteristics of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) and summarized the results of in vitro studies related to its antimicrobial effects. The second part of this review covers in vivo studies including human clinical studies and animal studies. The use of Ca(OH)₂ as an intracanal medicament represented better histological results in animal studies. However, human clinical studies showed limited antimicrobial effects that microorganisms were reduced but not eliminated through the treatment, and that some species had resistance to Ca(OH)₂. Most of clinical outcome studies supported that there is no improvement in healing of periapical lesions when Ca(OH)₂ was applied between appointments. Further studies are required for the antimicrobial effects of Ca(OH)₂, and search for the ideal material and technique to completely clean infected root canals should be continued.

The goal of endodontic treatment is the prevention and control of pulpal and periradicular infections. Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) has been widely used in endodontics as an intracanal medicament to eliminate the remaining microorganisms after chemomechanical preparation. The purpose of this article is to review the antimicrobial properties of Ca(OH)₂ as an intracanal medicament in root canal treatment. The first part of this review details the characteristics of Ca(OH)₂ and summarizes the results of in vitro studies related to its antimicrobial effect. The antimicrobial effect of Ca(OH)₂ results from the release of hydroxyl ions when it comes into contact with aqueous fluids. Ca(OH)₂ has a wide range of antimicrobial effects against common endodontic pathogens, but is less effective against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. The addition of vehicles or other agents might contribute to the antimicrobial effect of Ca(OH)₂.

Appropriate use of local hemostatic agent is one of the important factors on the prognosis of endodontic microsurgery. However, most investigations to date focus on the hemostatic efficacy of the agents, whereas their biologic characteristics have not received enough attention. The purpose of this paper was to review the biologic response of local hemostatic agents, and to provide clinical guidelines on their use during endodontic microsurgery. Electronic database (PUBMED) was screened to search related studies from 1980 to 2013, and 8 clinical studies and 18 animal studies were identified. Among the materials used in these studies, most widely-investigated and used materials, epinephrine, ferric sulfate (FS) and calcium sulfate (CS), were thoroughly discussed. Influence of these materials on local tissue and systemic condition, such as inflammatory and foreign body reaction, local ischemia, dyspigmentation, delayed or enhanced bone and soft tissue healing, and potential cardiovascular complications were assessed. Additionally, biological property of their carrier materials, cotton pellet and absorbable collagen, were also discussed. Clinicians should be aware of the biologic properties of local hemostatic agents and their carrier materials, and should pay attention to the potential complications when using them in endodontic microsurgery.

Epinephrine is one of the most widely-used vasoconstrictors in dental treatment including endodontic microsurgery. However, the systemic safety of epinephrine has been in debate for many years because of its potential risk to cause cardiovascular complications. The purpose of this review was to assess the cardiovascular effect of epinephrine use in endodontic microsurgery. Endodontic microsurgery directly applies epinephrine into the bone cavity, and the amount is reported to be much larger than other dental surgeries. Moreover, when considering that systemic potency of intraosseous application is reported to be comparable to intravenous application, the systemic influence of epinephrine could be increased in endodontic microsurgery. Besides, pre-existing cardiovascular complications or drug interactions can enhance its systemic influence, resulting in increased susceptibility to cardiovascular complications. Although clinical studies have not reported significant complications for patients without severe systemic complications, many epinephrine-induced emergency cases are warning the cardiovascular risk related with pre-existing systemic disease or drug interactions. Epinephrine is a dose-sensitive drug, and its hypersensitivity reaction can be fatal to patients when it is related to cardiovascular complications. Therefore, clinicians should recognize the risk, and the usage of pre-operative patient evaluation, dose control and patient monitoring are required to ensure patient's safety during endodontic microsurgery.

Nowadays, oral anticoagulants are commonly prescribed to numerous patients for preventing cardiovascular accident such as thromboembolism. An important side effect of anticoagulant is anti-hemostasis. In a major surgery, the oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) regimen must be changed before the surgery for proper post-operative bleeding control. However, in a minor dental surgery and endodontic surgery, the necessity for changing or discontinuing the OAT is open to debate. In this study, risks of the consequences were weighed and analyzed. In patients who stop the OAT, the occurrence of thromboembolic complication is rare but the result is fatal. In patients who continuing the OAT, post-operative bleeding can be controlled well with the local hemostatic measures. In the endodontic surgery, there are almost no studies about this issue. The intra-operative bleeding control is particularly important in the endodontic surgery because of its delicate and sensitive procedures such as inspection of resected root surface using dental microscope and retrograde filling. Further studies are necessary about this issue in the viewpoint of endodontic surgery.

Apical surgery cuts off the apical root and the crown-to-root ratio becomes unfavorable. Crown-to-root ratio has been applied to periodontally compromised teeth. Apical root resection is a different matter from periodontal bone loss. The purpose of this paper is to review the validity of crown-to-root ratio in the apically resected teeth. Most roots have conical shape and the root surface area of coronal part is wider than apical part of the same length. Therefore loss of alveolar bone support from apical resection is much less than its linear length.The maximum stress from mastication concentrates on the cervical area and the minimum stress was found on the apical 1/3 area. Therefore apical root resection is not so harmful as periodontal bone loss. Osteotomy for apical resection reduces longitudinal width of the buccal bone and increases the risk of endo-perio communication which leads to failure. Endodontic microsurgery is able to realize 0 degree or shallow bevel and precise length of root resection, and minimize the longitudinal width of osteotomy. The crown-to-root ratio is not valid in evaluating the prosthodontic prognosis of the apically resected teeth. Accurate execution of endodontic microsurgery to preserve the buccal bone is essential to avoid endo-perio communication.

Hypoesthesia after an inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block does not commonly occur, but some cases are reported. The causes of hypoesthesia include a needle injury or toxicity of local anesthetic agents, and the incidence itself can cause stress to both dentists and patients. This case presents a hypoesthesia on mental nerve area followed by IAN block anesthesia with 2% lidocaine. Prescription of steroids for a week was performed and periodic follow up was done. After 1 wk, the symptoms got much better and after 4 mon, hypoesthesia completely disappeared. During this healing period, only early steroid medication was prescribed. In most cases, hypoesthesia is resolved within 6 mon, but being aware of etiology and the treatment options of hypoesthesia is important. Because the hypoesthesia caused by IAN block anesthesia is a mild to moderate nerve injury, early detection of symptom and prescription of steroids could be helpful for improvement of the hypoesthesia.

Invasive cervical resorption is a relatively uncommon form of external root resorption. It is characterized by invasion of cervical region of the root by fibrovascular tissue derived from the periodontal ligament. This case presents an invasive cervical resorption occurring in maxillary lateral incisor, following damage in cervical cementum from avulsion and intracoronal bleaching procedure. Flap reflection, debridement and restoration with glass ionomer cement were performed in an attempt to repair the defect. But after 2 mon, more resorption extended apically. Considering root stability and recurrence potential, we decided to extract the tooth. Invasive cervical resorption in advanced stages may present great challenges for clinicians. Therefore, prevention and early detection must be stressed when dealing with patients presenting history of potential predisposing factors.

The development of subcutaneous emphysema is a well-known complication that has been reported after dental extraction, endodontic treatment, or restorative preparation. Gaseous invasion, leading to swelling, crepitus on palpation, is commonly restricted to the connective tisssues immediately adjacent to the entry site. However, the use of compressed air- and water-cooled turbines may allow large amounts of air and water to be driven through the fascial planes into the mediastinum, pleural space, or even the retroperitoneum.

This case report is about the patient who presented with subcutaneous emphysema that occurred after fracture line inspection. Possible cause, treatment, and prevention of emphysema will be discussed.

In current endodontic practice, introduction of operating microscope, ultrasonic instruments, and microinstruments has induced a big change in the field of surgical retreatment. In this study, we aimed to offer key steps of endodontic microsurgery procedure compared with traditional root-end surgery, and to evaluate factors influencing success and failure based on published articles.

Endodontic microsurgery is a surgical procedure performed with the aid of a microscope, ultrasonic instruments and modern microsurgical instruments. The microscope provides magnification and illumination - essential for identifying minute details of the apical anatomy. Ultrasonic instruments facilitate the precise root-end preparation that is within the anatomical space of the canal. Modern endodontics can therefore be performed with precision and predictability, thus eliminating the disadvantages inherent in traditional periapical surgery such as large osteotomy, beveled apicoectomy, inaccurate root-end preparation and the inability to observe isthmus.

Factors influencing the outcomes of endodontic microsurgery may be diverse, but standardization of procedures can minimize its range. Among patient and tooth-related factors, periodontal status and tooth position are known to be prognostic, but there are only few articles concerning this matter. High-evidence randomized clinical trials or prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings.

As the dental pulp is encased with a rigid, noncompliant shell, changes in pulpal blood flow or vascular tissue pressure can have serious implication for the health of pulp. Numerous studies have demonstrated that orthodontic force application may influence both blood flow and cellular metabolism, leading degenerative and/or inflammatory responses in the dental pulp. The aim of this case report is to present a case about tooth with chronic periapical abscess which showed normal vital responses. Excessive orthodontic force is thought to be the prime cause of partial pulp necrosis. Owing to remaining vital tissue, wrong dianosis can be made, and tooth falsely diagnosed as vital may be left untreated, causing the necrotic tissue to destroy the supporting tissuses. Clinician should be able to utilize various diagnostic tools for the precise diagnosis, and be aware of the endodontic-orthodontic inter-relationship.

Coronal discoloration is a common sequela to traumatic injuries. In subluxation cases, although the injury is not strong enough to rupture the apical vessels, discoloration may appear by tearing thin walls or occluding small capillaries. In absence of infection pulpal regeneration can occur, and as a result discoloration may completely or partially subside. But judging pulpal status by coronal discoloration can be dangerous and it may lead to unnecessary treatment.

This case presents coronal discoloration and recovery following traumatic injury of maxillary anterior teeth. In diagnosing traumatized teeth routine cold tests or electric pulp tests are known to be unreliable, but with the aid of ultrasound doppler imaging, assessing pulp vitality of traumatized teeth can be more accurate.

This study examined the influence of the storage methods on the viability of oral epithelial cells using conventional cell freezing storage, slow freezing preservation, rapid freezing preservation, and slow freezing preservation with a pressure of 2 Mpa or 3 Mpa. The cell viability was evaluated by cell counting, WST-1 and the clonogenic capacity after 6 days of freezing storage. After 6 days, the frozen cells were thawed rapidly, and the cell counting, WST-1, and clonogenic capacity values were measured and compared.

The results from cell counting demonstrated that conventional cryopreservation, slow freezing under a 2 Mpa pressure and slow freezing under a 3 Mpa pressure showed significantly higher values than slow freezing preservation and rapid freezing preservation (p<0.05).

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can detect bacteria more rapidly than conventional plate counting. However DNA-based assays cannot distinguish between viable and dead cells due to persistence of DNA after cells have lost their vitality. Recently, propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment has been introduced. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the applicability of the PMA treatment and real-time PCR method for cell counting in comparison with plate counting and to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of 2% CHX on E. faecalis using PMA treatment in combination with real-time PCR.

Firstly, to elucidate the relationship between the proportion of viable cells and the real-time PCR signals after PMA treatment, mixtures with different ratios of viable and dead cells were used. Secondly, relative difference of viable cells using PMA treatment in combination with real-time PCR was compared with CFU by plate counting. Lastly, antibacterial efficacy of 2% CHX on E. faecalis was measured using PMA treatment in combination with real-time PCR.

The results were as follows :

Ct value increased with decreasing proportion of viable E. faecalis.

This study examined the influence of the apical sizes on the sealing ability of a root canal filling.

Thirty-six single rooted teeth with a single canal were divided into 3 groups (n = 12) and instrumented with either the Profile® or LightSpeed® system to achieve three different apical sizes (master apical file [MAF] of #25, #40, or #60). The teeth were filled with gutta percha using a modified continuous wave technique. The level of microleakage was determined by immersing ten teeth from each group into India ink for 1 week followed by clearing with nitric acid, ethyl-alcohol, and methylsalicylate. The microleakage was measured using vernier calipers. The data was analyzed statistically using Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA and a Student-Newman-Keuls Method. Two teeth from each group were sectioned horizontally at 1, 2, 3 and 4 mm from the apex in order to observe a cross section.

The apical size was significantly (p < .05) influenced the level of microleakage. In the Student-Newman-Deuls Method, MAF sizes of #25 and #40; and MAF sizes of #25 and #60, respectively showed a statistically significant difference. There was no significant difference between #40 and #60. In most cross sections, oval-shaped canals were observed, and the irregularity of the internal surface increased with decreasing apical size. There was also an increase in the area of recess, which is the area where the canal space is not filled with either gutta-percha or sealer.

When the root canals are filled using a modified continuous wave technique, canal filling with more consistent and predictable outcome may be expected as the apical preparation size is increased.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sodium hypochlorite and steam autoclaving on the cyclic fatigue of nickel-titanium endodontic files.

Two types of files with a .06 taper and #30 were used, K3^® (SybronEndo, Glendora, California, USA) and Hero642^®(Micro-Mega, Besançon, France).

The files were divided into 6 experimental groups containing 10 files each group depending the soaking time in 6% sodium hypochlorite solution and number of cycles of steam autoclave. After sterilization, a cyclic fatigue test was performed on each file, and the fracture time was recorded in seconds. The control group underwent the cyclic fatigue test only. After the test, the surface characteristics of the files were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

All groups containing the Hero 642^® files showed a similar cyclic fatigue fracture time. However, the cyclic fatigue fracture time with the K3^® files was significantly shorter in groups which were treated with sodium hypochlorite than in the control group (P < 0.05). SEM revealed both Hero642^® and K3^® files to have significant corrosion on the file surface in groups treated with sodium hypochlorite, compared with the sharp and regular blades of the control group. K3^® files showed more corrosion than the Hero642^® files. Bluntness of the blades of the K3^® file was observed in groups treated with steam autoclave. Although there was no obvious destruction on the surface of steam autoclaved Hero642^® files, slight bluntness was observed.

Sterilizing with a steam autoclave is much less destructive to K3^® files than sodium hypochlorite. The longer time exposed to sodium hypochlorite, the more destructive pattern was shown on the blades of the files. Therefore, when using sodium hypochlorite solution, the exposure time should be as short as possible in order to prevent corrosion and increase the cyclic fatigue fracture time.

The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of canal filling on the bacteria left in the dentinal tubules and to compare the sealing ability between Gutta-percha and Resilon. The bovine dentin block models were prepared. E. faecalis was inoculated to dentin blocks and incubated. The dentin blocks were divided into 5 groups.

Group 1 was the negative control. Group 2 was the positive control. Group 3 was filled with ZOE based sealer and Gutta-percha, Group 4 with resin based sealer and Gutta-percha, and Group 5 with resin based sealer and Resilon. After 24 hour, the blocks were incubated at 37℃ for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks on BHI agar plates.

The internal dentin portion of the blocks was removed using ISO 027, 029, 031, 035 round burs and the dentin chips were incubated at 37℃ for 24 hour. Following incubation, the optical density of the medium was measured. The data were statistically analysed using repeated measures ANOVA and one-way ANOVA.

The results were as follows,

1. There was statistically significant reduction in the number of E. faecalis of the group where dentinal tubules were completely sealed with nail varnish in comparison with the groups obturated with gutta-percha or resilon (p < 0.05).

2. In group 5, the number of E. faecalis in the dentinal tubules decreased significantly with time (p < 0.05), whereas in Group 3 and 4, there was no reduction in its number (p > 0.05).

3. Under the conditions of this experiment, E. faecalis survived up to 4 weeks after obturation with gutta-percha or resilon (p > 0.05).

The marginal integrity of the crown can be broken during endodontic access cavity preparation due to the vibration of burs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of endodontic access cavity preparation on the marginal leakage of full veneer gold crowns. 24 intact molars were mounted in acrylic resin blocks and prepared for crowns by a restorative dentist and crowns were cast with gold alloy. 20 Crowns were cemented with glass ionomer cement and 2 crowns were not cemented for positive control. 200 thermo-cycles from 5℃ to 50℃ with a travel time of 20s were completed. Then samples were randomly divided into 2 experimental groups of 9 each. Endodontic access preparation and zinc-oxide eugenol temporary fillings were done in Group 1. Teeth in Group 2 were not treated. Samples were coated with 2 layers of nail varnish and were immersed in 1% methylene blue dye for 20 hrs. Endodontic access was prepared in 2 samples, which were coated with nail varnish on all surfaces for negative control. After washing in running water, gold crowns were cut with a #330 bur. Four buccolingual sections, 2 mm apart, were cut from the central section of each tooth and were examined and scored under the microscope for dye leakage. Score 1: leakage to the cervical 1/3 of the axial wall, Score 2: leakage to the middle 1/3 of the axial wall, Score 3: leakage to the coronal 1/3 of the axial wall, Score 4: leakage to the occlusal surface. The median value for Group 1 is 4 and for Group 2 is 2. The result of this study showed that samples in Group 1 leaked more than those in Group 2. This finding was significant(P<0.001).