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Objective. To compare the efficacy of various techniques used for final irrigation on sealer penetration in the apical one-third of curved root canals. Material and Methods. Sixty-five freshly extracted maxillary first molar teeth with mesiobuccal roots having more than 20° of root curvature were used. The root canals were instrumented and randomly divided into four experimental groups and one control group. In the 4 experimental groups, 3 ml of 17% EDTA followed by 3 ml of 5.25% NaOCl was delivered with the use of the following protocols: Group 1: manual dynamic activation (MDA), Group 2: sonic irrigation (SI), Group 3: passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), and Group 4: conventional needle irrigation (CI). All teeth were obturated with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer labeled with fluorescent dye. Transverse sections at 2 mm and 4 mm distance from the root apex were examined with the aid of confocal laser scanning microscopy. Total percentage (%) and maximum depth (μm) of sealer penetration were measured. Results. All the experimental groups exhibited significantly higher penetration rates than the control group at both sections (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the penetration depth and percentage among the four experimental groups evaluated at both sections (p>0.05). Conclusion. PUI, SI, and MDA did not significantly improve sealer penetration in the apical portion of curved root canals when compared to conventional needle irrigation.

Background This study aimed the evaluation of the prevalence, characteristics, types of dens invaginatus (DI) and co-observed dental anomalies to understand dental treatment requirements in anterior teeth that are susceptible to developmental anomalies by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods In this retrospective study, the anterior teeth of 958 patients were evaluated by using CBCT for the presence of DI. The demographic features, types of DI and treatment requirements were also recorded. The association between sex and the presence of DI was evaluated using chi-squared test. Results Seventy-three DI anomalies were detected in the anterior teeth of 49 patients (18 females, 31 males). The frequency of DI was 5.11% and the most frequently involved teeth were lateral (57.53%). Forty-six teeth were classified as Type I (63.01%), 24 as Type II (32.87%), and three as Type III (4.10%). Apical pathosis was found to be 20.54% in all DIs detected and accounted for all Type III and one-third of Type II. Conclusions CBCT imaging can be effective in the detection of dental anomalies such as DI and planning for root canal therapy and surgical treatments. Prophylactic interventions might be possible to prevent apical pathosis with the data obtained from CBCT images.

Clinically, extraoral sinus tracts of endodontic origin may be confused with a wide variety of diseases. Thus, the differential diagnosis of this clinical dilemma is of paramount importance in providing appropriate clinical care because misdiagnosis of this condition may result in healing failure or unnecessary treatments. For this reason, a dental cause must be considered for any cutaneous sinus tract involving the face or neck. Its diagnosis is not always easy unless the treating clinician considers the possibility of its dental origin. Once the correct diagnosis is made, definitive treatment, through either tooth extraction or root canal therapy to eliminate the source of infection, is simple and effective.

Background: The mental foramen (MF) is an important anatomical landmark on the mandible. MFs may occur singly or with extra foramina (accessory mental foramen (AMF)). Objective: The aim of the present study was to discuss the importance of recognition and classification of AMFs. Methods: This study assessed CBCT images of 593 patients (208 male, 385 female) and proposed an AMF classification scheme based on three different characteristics: (1) location of the AMF with respect to the MF; (2) relationship of AMFs with tooth apices; and (3) origin of the AMF. The chi-squared test was used to compare the qualitative data as well as descriptive statistical methods when the study data were evaluated. Significance was assessed at the p < 0.05 level. Results: A total of 80 AMFs were found in 71 patients. Six cases involved bilateral AMFs, whereas three cases showed double AMFs. The most common AMF location was the region posterior of the MF. Notably, all the AMFs detected in line with the mesial half of the first molar were present in female patients. Based on AMF origins, 44.5%, 48.6%, and 6.7% of the AMFs were categorized as type I, type II, and a new category identified in this study, type III. Conclusion: This study revealed some foramina locations were not considered in the previous classification. Recognition and identification of these foramina might be critical to prevent possible complications. The proposed classification scheme may facilitate this objective and can be a new focus for future studies.