This study aimed to investigate the endodontic characteristics of mandibular premolars with dens evaginatus (DE) that require endodontic treatment.

Patients who underwent endodontic treatment were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were patients who underwent root canal treatment in the lower permanent teeth with DE and were followed up for at least 1 year. Preoperative clinical and radiographic variables were obtained. The frequency distribution of the preoperative variables was compared using the χ² or Fisher’s exact tests. The significance of the change in periapical health index (PAI) and root development stages before and after treatment was examined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

A total of 150 teeth of 134 patients with an average age of 15.3 years were included. The percentage distribution comparison of the preoperative variables and obturation techniques revealed significant differences in pulpal and periapical diagnosis, and percussion, and especially regarding age, root development stage, and PAI. Age was the only statistically significant preoperative variable associated with root growth (p < 0.05).

Approximately, 60% of DEs requiring endodontic treatment had immature roots. Age being the most significant predisposing factor, early treatment provides the greatest opportunity for full root development.

This study aimed to investigate the frequency and type of endodontic procedural errors in cases indicated for retreatment through cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis.

The sample consisted of 96 CBCT scans, encompassing 122 permanent teeth with fully formed roots. Errors included perforation, instrument fracture, canal transportation, missed canals, and inadequate apical limit of filling. Additionally, potential risk factors were analyzed and subjected to statistical modeling.

The most frequent procedural error observed was the inadequate apical limit of filling, followed by canal transportation, perforation, missed canal, and instrument fracture. Statistically significant associations were identified between various procedural errors and specific factors. These include canal transportation and root canal wall, with the buccal wall being the most commonly affected; missed canal and tooth type, particularly the palatine and second mesiobuccal canal canals; inadequate apical limit of filling and root curvature, showing a higher deviation to the mesial direction in severely curved canals; inadequate apical limit of filling and the presence of calcifications, with underfilling being the most frequent; canal transportation and periapical lesion, notably with deviation to the buccal direction; and the direction of perforation and periapical lesion, most frequently occurring to buccal direction.

CBCT emerges as a valuable tool in identifying procedural errors and associated factors, crucial for their prevention and management.

This study aimed to evaluate the color stability and solubility of Biodentine and NeoPutty in contact with different irrigation solutions.

Biodentine and NeoPutty were set in cylindrical molds with 7 mm diameter and 1.5 mm high and immersed in distilled water, 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), 9% 1-hydroxyethylidene 1,1-diphosphonate (HEDP), and 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solutions for 24 hours. The color change was measured with a spectrophotometer. The solubility values were calculated as the mass loss was expressed as a percentage of the original mass using an analytical balance with 10⁻⁴ g accuracy. Data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis followed by Mann-Whitney U tests, and 2-way analysis of variance test followed by Bonferroni corrections for pairwise comparisons for solubility and color stability with a 5% significance threshold, respectively.

Biodentine exhibited higher color changes compared to the NeoPutty contact with all solutions except distilled water (p < 0.05). Both hydraulic cements (HCs) showed higher discoloration values immersion in CHX followed by NaOCl. No statistically significant difference was found between Biodentine and NeoPutty regardless of irrigation solution in terms of solubility (p > 0.05). Solubility values were lower in the distilled water group compared to EDTA and CHX (p < 0.05).

Tested HCs showed solubility and color changes at various rates. NeoPutty could be an appropriate material in aesthetic areas. The usage of HEDP as an irrigant solution can be considered suitable for various endodontic treatments due to its relatively lower solubility and discoloration values.

This systematic review addressed the question: “What is the prevalence of apical periodontitis in patients prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation?”

A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Grey Literature Report. Eligibility criteria were based on the condition, content, and population strategy: the condition was the radiographic prevalence of apical periodontitis, the content comprised patients scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the population consisted of adult and pediatric patients. The revised Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Exposure tool was used to assess the quality of studies. The Grading Recommendations Assessments, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to assess the quality of evidence.

Eight studies were included in this review. The average number of patients with apical periodontitis was 15.65% (range, 2.1%–43.34%). One study was classified as having a very high risk of bias, 1 with a high risk of bias, and 6 with some concern for bias. GRADE analysis showed a very low certainty of evidence. Significant limitations concerning the absence of control over confounding variables were identified.

With the caveat of the very low quality of evidence in the studies reviewed, there was a low to moderate prevalence of apical periodontitis in patients prior to undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation.

This scientometric and bibliometric analysis explored scientific publications related to hydraulic calcium silicate-based (HCSB) sealers used in endodontology, aiming to describe basic bibliometric indicators and analyze current research trends.

A comprehensive search was conducted in Web of Science and Scopus using specific HCSB sealer and general endodontic-related terms. Basic research parameters were collected, including publication year, authorship, countries, institutions, journals, level of evidence, study design and topic of interest, title terms, author keywords, citation counts, and density.

In total, 498 articles published in 136 journals were retrieved for the period 2008–2023. Brazil was the leading country, and the universities of Bologna in Italy and Sao Paolo in Brazil were represented equally as leading institutions. The most frequently occurring keywords were “calcium silicate,” “root canal sealer MTA-Fillapex,” and “biocompatibility,” while title terms such as “calcium,” “sealers,” “root,” “canal,” “silicate based,” and “endodontic” occurred most often. According to the thematic map analysis, “solubility” appeared as a basic theme of concentrated research interest, and “single-cone technique” was identified as an emerging, inadequately developed theme. The co-occurrence analysis revealed 4 major clusters centered on sealers’ biological and physicochemical properties, obturation techniques, retreatability, and adhesion.

This analysis presents bibliographic features and outlines changing trends in HCSB sealer research. The research output is dominated by basic science articles scrutinizing the biological and specific physicochemical properties of commonly used HCSB sealers. Future research needs to be guided by studies with a high level of evidence that utilize innovative, sophisticated technologies.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a single-file reciprocating system (WaveOne Gold, WOG) and a multi-file rotary system (ProTaper Universal Retreatment, PTUR) in removing canal filling from severely curved canals and to evaluate the possible adjunctive effects of XP-Endo Finisher (XPF), the Self-Adjusting File (SAF), and an erbium, chromium: yttrium, scandium, gallium garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser using micro-computed tomography (μCT).

Sixty-six curved mandibular molars were divided into 2 groups based on the retreatment technique and then into 3 based on the supplementary method. The residual filling volumes and root canals were evaluated with μCT before and after retreatment, and after the supplementary steps. The data were statistically analyzed with the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, analysis of covariance, and factorial analysis of variance (p < 0.05).

PTUR and WOG showed no significant difference in removing filling materials (p > 0.05). The supplementary techniques were significantly more effective than reciprocating or rotary systems only (p < 0.01). The supplementary steps showed no significant differences in canal filling removal effectiveness (p > 0.05), but XPF showed less dentin reduction than the SAF and Er,Cr:YSGG laser (p < 0.01).

The supplementary methods significantly decreased the volume of residual filling materials. XPF caused minimal changes in root canal volume and might be preferred for retreatment in curved root canals. Supplementary approaches after retreatment procedures may improve root canal cleanliness.

This retrospective cohort study examined the incidence of interappointment emergencies during multiple-visit molar root canal treatments conducted by undergraduate students. Treatments performed without the use of intracanal medicament were compared to treatments that incorporated calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medicament.

Interappointment emergencies, defined as instances of pain or swelling that required the patient to make an unscheduled follow-up visit, were recorded for up to 2 months after the intervention. To avoid the influence of obturation on the observed incidence of emergency visits, only unscheduled visits occurring between the start and end of the root canal treatment were included.

Of the 719 patients included in this study, 77 (10.7%) were recorded as experiencing interappointment emergencies. Of these emergencies, 62% occurred within 2 weeks following the most recent intervention. In the group of patients who did not receive intracanal medicament, the incidence of interappointment emergencies was 11.9% (46 of 385 patients). In comparison, this rate was 9.3% (31 of 334 patients) among those who received calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medicament (odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–2.15; p = 0.249).

Interappointment emergencies may arise at any point during root canal treatment, but they most commonly occur within the first 2 weeks following intervention. The omission of intracanal medicament in multiple-visit molar root canal treatments, performed by undergraduate students, did not significantly increase the incidence of these emergencies.

This study tested the hypothesis that cryotherapy duration influences lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in a rat model.

Six Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were used. Five sites were selected per animal and divided into 5 groups: a negative control group (NC), 2 positive control groups (PC1 and PC2), and 2 experimental groups (E1 and E2). Cryotherapy was applied for 1 minute (E1) or 5 minutes (E2). An acute inflammatory response was induced in the PC and E groups via subcutaneous administration of 0.5 mL/kg. In the PC2 group, a catheter was inserted without additional treatment. For the E1 and E2 groups, 2.5°C saline solution was administered through the implanted catheters for 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. The rats were sacrificed, and samples were obtained and processed for histological analysis, specifically examining the presence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and hemorrhage. The χ² test was used to compare the presence of acute inflammation across groups. Dependent variables were compared using the linear-by-linear association test.

Inflammation and hemorrhage varied significantly among the groups (p = 0.001). A significantly higher degree of acute inflammation was detected (p = 0.0002) in the PC and E1 samples than in the E2 group, in which cryotherapy was administered for 5 minutes. The PC and E1 groups also exhibited significantly greater numbers of neutrophils (p = 0.007), which were essentially absent in both the NC and E2 groups.

Cryotherapy administration for 5 minutes reduced the acute inflammation associated with LPS and catheter implantation.

Advancements in nanotechnology have led to the widespread usage of nanoparticles in the endodontic field. This bibliometric study aimed to determine and analyze the top 100 most-cited articles about nanoparticles in endodontics from 2000 to 2022.

A detailed electronic search was conducted on the “Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, All Databases” to receive the most-cited articles related to the topic. Articles were ranked in descending order based on their citation counts, and the first 100 were selected for bibliometric analysis. Parameters such as citation density, publication year, journal, country, institution, author, study design, study field, evidence level, and keywords were analyzed.

The top 100 most-cited articles received 4,698 citations (16–271) with 970.21 (1.91–181) citation density in total. Among decades, citations were significantly higher in 2011–2022 (p < 0.001). Journal of Endodontics had the largest number of publications. Canada and the University of Toronto made the highest contribution as country and institution, respectively. Anil Kishen was the 1 who participated in the largest number of articles. The majority of the articles were designed in vitro. The main study field was “antibacterial effect.” Among keywords, “nanoparticles” followed by “Enterococcus faecalis” were used more frequently.

Developments in nanotechnology had an impact on the increasing number of studies in recent years. This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive view of nanoparticle advances and trends using citation analysis.

This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the tip and taper compatibility of accessory gutta-percha points (AGPs) with various rotary and reciprocating instruments.

Using a profile analyzer, tip and taper measurements were taken of 10 AGPs of each of the 14 models available from Odous de Deus and the 4 models available from Dentsply-Maillefer. Diameter measurements were taken at 1-mm intervals, from 3 mm from the tip (D3) to 16 mm.

Based on the mean values obtained, 3-dimensional (3D) models of the AGPs were drawn in Autodesk Fusion 360 and superimposed on 3D models of each instrument selected (Mtwo, Reciproc, RaCe, K3, and ProDesign Logic) to determine the compatibility between the instrument and the AGP. Data corresponding to the tips and tapers of the various AGPs, as well as the tip and taper differences between the AGPs and the instruments, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The tapers of the AGPs were subject to the American National Standards Institute/American Dental Association No. 57 standard. The Odous de Deus extra-long medium and extra-long extra-medium AGPs were shown to be compatible with Mtwo, K3, and ProDesign Logic instruments with taper 0.06 and tip sizes 25 and 30, while the Dentsply fine and fine medium cones were compatible with Mtwo, RaCe, and K3 instruments with conicity of 0.04 and tip sizes 35 and 40.

Both the Odous de Deus and Dentsply commercial brands included 2 AGP models with tip (D3) and taper compatibility with Mtwo, RaCe, K3, and/or Prodesign Logic instruments.

This study evaluated the efficiency of WaveOne Primary files (Dentsply Sirona) for removing root canal fillings with 2 types of movement: reciprocating (RCP) and continuous counterclockwise rotation (CCR).

Twenty mandibular incisors were prepared with a RCP instrument (25.08) and filled using the Tagger hybrid obturation technique. The teeth were retreated with a WaveOne Primary file and randomly allocated to 2 experimental retreatment groups (n = 10) according to movement type: RCP and CCR. The root canals were emptied of filling material in the first 3 steps of insertion, until reaching the working length. The timing of retreatment and procedure errors were recorded for all samples. The specimens were scanned before and after the retreatment procedure with micro-computed tomography to calculate the percentage and volume (mm³) of the residual filling material. The results were statistically evaluated using paired and independent t-tests, with a significance level set at 5%.

No significant difference was found in the timing of filling removal between the groups, with a mean of 322 seconds (RCP) and 327 seconds (CCR) (p < 0.05). There were 6 instrument fractures: 1 in a RCP motion file and 5 in continuous rotation files. The volumes of residual filling material were similar (9.94% for RCP and 15.94% for CCR; p > 0.05).

The WaveOne Primary files used in retreatment performed similarly in both RCP and CCR movements. Neither movement type completely removed the obturation material, but the RCP movement provided greater safety.

This study aimed to compare the torsional and cyclic fatigue resistance of ProGlider (PG), WaveOne Gold Glider (WGG), and TruNatomy Glider (TNG).

A total of 15 instruments of each glide path system (n = 15) were used for each test. A custom-made device simulating an angle of 90° and a radius of 5 millimeters was used to assess cyclic fatigue resistance, with calculation of number of cycles to failure. Torsional fatigue resistance was assessed by maximum torque and angle of rotation. Fractured instruments were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed with Shapiro-Wilk and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and the significance level was set at 5%.

The WGG group showed greater cyclic fatigue resistance than the PG and TNG groups (p < 0.05). In the torsional fatigue test, the TNG group showed a higher angle of rotation, followed by the PG and WGG groups (p < 0.05). The TNG group was superior to the PG group in torsional resistance (p < 0.05). SEM analysis revealed ductile morphology, typical of the 2 fracture modes: cyclic fatigue and torsional fatigue.

Reciprocating WGG instruments showed greater cyclic fatigue resistance, while TNG instruments were better in torsional fatigue resistance. The significance of these findings lies in the identification of the instruments’ clinical applicability to guide the choice of the most appropriate instrument and enable the clinician to provide a more predictable glide path preparation.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of different obturation techniques compared to cold lateral compaction on the success rate of primary non-surgical endodontic treatments.

Systematic searches were performed for studies published up to May 17^th, 2022 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and Grey Literature Reports. Randomized clinical trials and nonrandomized (nonrandomized clinical trials, prospective or retrospective) studies that evaluated the success rate of primary non-surgical endodontic treatments obturated with the cold lateral compaction (control) and other obturation techniques were included. The revised Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomized trials (RoB 2) and nonrandomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) were used to evaluate the risk of bias. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence.

Eleven studies (4 randomized clinical trials (RCTs), 4 prospective, and 3 retrospectives) were included. Two RCTs were classified as having some concerns risk of bias and 2 as a low risk of bias. Two nonrandomized studies were classified as having a critical risk of bias and 5 as having a moderate risk of bias. The GRADE analysis demonstrated a very low to moderate certainty of evidence.

This systematic review generally evidenced no differences in the success rate of primary non-surgical endodontic treatments when the cold lateral compaction technique and other obturation techniques are performed. Further well-designed studies are still necessary.

This study aimed to evaluate the success rate of endodontic treatments performed by undergraduate students and the factors associated with the outcome.

A follow-up of 3 to 8 years after root canal filling was carried out in 91 patients. At the follow-up visits, medical and dental history questionnaires were applied along with clinical and radiographic examinations. Data collected in the clinical exam included: the presence of pain, swelling, sinus tract, mobility, tenderness to palpation and percussion, periodontal probing profile, and type/quality of coronal restoration. Postoperative and follow-up radiographs were digitalized and analyzed by 2 trained and calibrated examiners to assess periapical healing. The treatment outcome was based on strict clinical and radiographic criteria and classified as success (absence of any clinical and radiographic sign of apical periodontitis) or failure (other combination). Logistic regression was used to investigate the impact of clinical and radiographic variables on endodontic treatment outcomes at a 5% significance level.

The success rate of endodontic treatments was 60.7%. The only risk factor significantly associated with failure was the presence of a periapical lesion on the postoperative radiograph (odds ratio, 3.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–9.54).

The success rate of endodontic treatments performed by undergraduate students was low and was jeopardized by the presence of a periapical lesion on the postoperative radiograph.

The study investigated the difficulties experienced by endodontics researchers around the world in conducting studies and writing papers.

A survey consisting of 18 questions on the difficulties experienced by endodontics researchers in performing studies and writing papers was e-mailed to academics in the field of endodontics working at 202 universities. The independent risk factors were analyzed using binary logistic regression at a significance level of 0.05.

A total of 581 individuals (10.7%) agreed to participate in the study. Almost half the participants (48.2%) reported that they had received some type of training in conducting studies and writing papers. In response to the question, “Do you get help from a statistician to perform the statistical analyses of your studies?,” 77.1% answered “yes.” Around 40% of the participants stated that the need to obtain ethical approval negatively affected their desire to conduct studies. The participants’ regions had no effect on the reported difficulties associated with writing papers in English or conducting statistical analyses (p > 0.05). Most participants (81.8%) reported difficulties in writing the Discussion section, regardless of their region, academic degrees, or years of experience.

The participants stated they experienced difficulties in many areas, such as conducting statistical analyses, finding new ideas, and writing in English. Engaging in a detailed examination of ethics committee rules, expanding biostatistics education, increasing the number of institutions providing research funding, and increasing the number of endodontics journals can increase the enthusiasm of endodontics researchers to publish papers.

This study compared the cyclic fatigue resistance of One Curve (C wire) and F6 Skytaper (conventional austenite nickel-titanium [NiTi]), and 2 instruments with thermo-mechanically treated NiTi: Protaper Next X2 (M wire) and Hyflex CM (CM wire).

Ten new instruments of each group (size: 0.25 mm, 6% taper in the 3 mm tip region) were tested using a rotary bending machine with a 60° curvature angle and a 5 mm curvature radius, at room temperature. The number of cycles until fracture was recorded. The length of the fractured instruments was measured. The fracture surface of each fragment was examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and the post hoc Tukey test. The significance level was set at 0.05.

At 60°, One Curve, F6 Skytaper and Hyflex CM had significantly longer fatigue lives than Protaper Next X2 (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in the cyclic fatigue lives of One Curve, F6 Skytaper, and Hyflex CM (p > 0.05). SEM images of the fracture surfaces of the different instruments showed typical features of fatigue failure.

Within the conditions of this study, at 60° and with a 5 mm curvature radius, the cyclic fatigue life of One Curve was not significantly different from those of F6 Skytaper and Hyflex CM. The cyclic fatigue lives of these 3 instruments were statistically significantly longer than that of Protaper Next.

This study investigated the impact of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)-based voxel size on the analysis of material/dentin interface voids and thickness of different endodontic cements.

Following root-end resection and apical preparation, maxillary premolars were filled with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), Biodentine, and intermediate restorative material (IRM) (n = 24). The samples were scanned using micro-CT (SkyScan 1272; Bruker) and the cement/dentin interface and thickness of materials were evaluated at voxel sizes of 5, 10, and 20 µm. Analysis of variance and the Tukey test were conducted, and the degree of agreement between different voxel sizes was evaluated using the Bland and Altman method (p < 0.05).

All materials showed an increase in thickness from 5 to 10 and 20 µm (p < 0.05). When evaluating the interface voids, materials were similar at 5 µm (p > 0.05), while at 10 and 20 µm Biodentine showed the lowest percentage of voids (p < 0.05). A decrease in the interface voids was observed for MTA and IRM at 20 µm, while Biodentine showed differences among all voxel sizes (p < 0.05). The Bland-Altman plots for comparisons among voxel sizes showed the largest deviations when comparing images between 5 and 20 µm.

Voxel size had an impact on the micro-CT evaluation of thickness and interface voids of endodontic materials. All cements exhibited an increase in thickness and a decrease in the void percentage as the voxel size increased, especially when evaluating images at 20 µm.

This study compared the Biodentine, MTA Repair HP, and Bio-C Repair bioceramics in terms of bond strength to dentin, failure mode, and compression.

Fifty-four slices obtained from the cervical third of 18 single-rooted human mandibular premolars were randomly distributed (n = 18). After insertion of the bioceramic materials, the push-out test was performed. The failure mode was analyzed using stereomicroscopy. Another set of cylindrically-shaped bioceramic samples (n = 10) was prepared for compressive strength testing. The normality of data distribution was analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests were used for the push-out test data, while compressive strength was analyzed with analysis of variance and the Tukey test, considering a significance level of 0.05.

Biodentine presented a higher median bond strength value (14.79 MPa) than MTA Repair HP (8.84 MPa) and Bio-C Repair (3.48 MPa), with a significant difference only between Biodentine and Bio-C Repair. In the Biodentine group, the most frequent failure mode was mixed (61%), while in the MTA Repair HP and Bio-C Repair groups, it was adhesive (94% and 72%, respectively). Biodentine showed greater resistance to compression (29.59 ± 8.47 MPa) than MTA Repair HP (18.68 ± 7.40 MPa) and Bio-C Repair (19.96 ± 3.96 MPa) (p < 0.05).

Biodentine showed greater compressive strength than MTA Repair HP and Bio-C Repair, and greater bond strength than Bio-C Repair. The most frequent failure mode of Biodentine was mixed, while that of MTA Repair HP and Bio-C Repair was adhesive.

This study aimed to evaluate the detection rate of apical radiolucencies in 2-dimensional images using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) as the reference standard, and to determine which factors related to the apical radiolucencies and the teeth could influence its detection.

The sample consisted of exams of patients who had panoramic (PAN) and/or periapical (PERI) radiography and CBCT. The exams were assessed by 2 oral radiologists and divided into PAN+CBCT (227 teeth–285 roots) and PERI+CBCT (94 teeth–115 roots). Radiographic images were evaluated for the presence of apical radiolucency, while CBCT images were assessed for presence, size, location, and involvement of the cortical bone (thinning, expansion, and destruction). Diagnostic values were obtained for PERI and PAN.

PERI and PAN presented high accuracy (0.83 and 0.77, respectively) and specificity (0.89 and 0.91, respectively), but low sensitivity, especially for PAN (0.40 vs. 0.65 of PERI). The size of the apical radiolucency was positively correlated with its detection in PERI and PAN (p < 0.001). For PAN, apical radiolucencies were 3.93 times more frequently detected when related to single-rooted teeth (p = 0.038). The other factors did not influence apical radiolucency detection (p > 0.05).

PERI presents slightly better accuracy than PAN for the detection of apical radiolucency. The size is the only factor related to radiolucency that influences its detection, for both radiographic exams. For PAN, apical radiolucency is most often detected in single-rooted teeth.

This study aimed to analyze the main features of the 25 most-cited articles in minimally invasive access cavities.

An electronic search was conducted on the Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science ‘All Databases’ to identify the most-cited articles related to this topic. Citation counts were cross-matched with data from Elsevier's Scopus and Google Scholar. Information about authors, contributing institutions and countries, year and journal of publication, study design and topic, access cavity, and keywords were analyzed.

The top 25 most-cited articles received a total of 572 (Web of Science), 1,160 (Google Scholar) and 631 (Scopus) citations. It was observed a positive significant association between the number of citations and age of publication (r = 0.6907, p < 0.0001); however, there was no significant association regarding citation density and age of publication (r = −0.2631, p = 0.2038). The Journal of Endodontics made the highest contribution (n = 15, 60%). The United States had the largest number of publications (n = 7) followed by Brazil (n = 4), with the most contributions from the University of Tennessee and Grande Rio University (n = 3), respectively. The highest number of most-cited articles were ex vivo studies (n = 16), and ‘fracture resistance’ was the major topic studied (n = 10).

This study revealed a growing interest for researchers in the field of minimally invasive access cavities. Future trends are focused on the expansion of collaborative networks and the conduction of laboratory studies on under-investigated parameters.

The aim of this study was to evaluate bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) membranes incorporated with antimicrobial agents regarding cytotoxicity in fibroblasts of the periodontal ligament (PDLF), antimicrobial activity, and inhibition of multispecies biofilm formation.

The tested BNC membranes were BNC + 1% clindamycin (BNC/CLI); BNC + 0.12% chlorhexidine (BNC/CHX); BNC + nitric oxide (BNC/NO); and conventional BNC (BNC; control). After PDLF culture, the BNC membranes were positioned in the wells and maintained for 24 hours. Cell viability was then evaluated using the MTS calorimetric test. Antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Actinomyces naeslundii, and Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis) was evaluated using the agar diffusion test. To assess the antibiofilm activity, BNC membranes were exposed for 24 hours to the mixed culture. After sonicating the BNC membranes to remove the remaining biofilm and plating the suspension on agar, the number of colony-forming units (CFU)/mL was determined. Data were analyzed by 1-way analysis of variance and the Tukey, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn tests (α = 5%).

PDLF metabolic activity after contact with BNC/CHX, BNC/CLI, and BNC/NO was 35%, 61% and 97%, respectively, compared to BNC. BNC/NO showed biocompatibility similar to that of BNC (p = 0.78). BNC/CLI showed the largest inhibition halos, and was superior to the other BNC membranes against S. sanguinis (p < 0.05). The experimental BNC membranes inhibited biofilm formation, with about a 3-fold log CFU reduction compared to BNC (p < 0.05).

BNC/NO showed excellent biocompatibility and inhibited multispecies biofilm formation, similarly to BNC/CLI and BNC/CHX.

The reliability and educational quality of videos on YouTube for patients seeking information regarding instrument separation in root canal treatment were evaluated.

YouTube was searched for videos on instrument separation in root canal treatment. Video content was scored based on reliability in terms of 3 categories (etiology, procedure, and prognosis) and based on video flow, quality, and educational usefulness using the Global Quality Score (GQS). Descriptive statistics were obtained and the data were analyzed using analysis of variance and the Kruskal-Wallis test.

The highest mean completeness scores were obtained for videos published by dentists or specialists (1.48 ± 1.06). There was no statistically significant difference among sources of upload in terms of content completeness. The highest mean GQS was found for videos published by dentists or specialists (1.82 ± 0.96), although there was no statistically significant correlation between GQS and the source of upload.

Videos on YouTube have incomplete and low-quality content for patients who are concerned about instrument separation during endodontic treatment, or who experience this complication during endodontic treatment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the corrosion resistance of heat-treated (Reciproc and WaveOne) and non-heat-treated (ProTaper and Mtwo) superelastic nickel-titanium endodontic files when immersed in a 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution.

Anodic polarization curves were obtained with potential sweeps that began at the open circuit potential or corrosion potential (E_corr). The pitting potential (E_pit) was identified on the anodic polarization curve as the potential at which a sudden increase in current was observed. The micromorphology of the 28 tested files was analyzed before and after the electrochemical assay using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance with the post hoc Bonferroni test (for E_corr) and the Student t-test for independent samples (for E_pit).

The mean E_corr values were 0.506 V for ProTaper, 0.348 V for Mtwo, 0.542 V for Reciproc, and 0.321 V for WaveOne files. Only WaveOne and Protaper files exhibited pitting corrosion, with E_pit values of 0.879 V and 0.904 V, respectively. On the SEM images of the ProTaper and WaveOne files, cavities suggestive of pitting corrosion were detected.

Signs of corrosion were observed in both heat-treated and non-heat-treated files. Of the evaluated files, WaveOne (a heat-treated file) and ProTaper (a non-heat-treated file) exhibited the lowest corrosion resistance.