Procedural mishaps with trephine-based intraosseous anesthesia.

Failure to achieve profound anesthesia during dental treatment can be a significant problem for dental clinicians, especially for endodontic procedures on teeth in the mandibular arch with irreversible pulpitis. A number of supplemental local anesthesia techniques exist, the most effective of which may be the intraosseous injection. Two cases are presented demonstrating the dangers associated with the use of the intraosseous anesthesia technique. While the technique can provide profound anesthesia in otherwise difficult to anesthetize cases, care must be taken during its administration. Both cases show the damage done to the root and overlying bone by the injudicious use of the trephine. It is incumbent on the clinician to fully consider the anatomy in the area prior to insertion of the trephine. Intraosseous anesthesia techniques are a valuable addition to the clinicians' armamentarium. However careless administration can result in problems of endodontic or periodontal nature that may be difficult to rectify.

Retrospective analysis of open apex teeth obturated with mineral trioxide aggregate.

This study is a retrospective analysis of the outcome of initial nonsurgical root canal treatment of teeth with open apices, obturated with mineral trioxide aggregate when no apical barrier existed. One hundred sixteen patients from a single private endodontic office were treated between 1999 and 2006. Treatments on 144 teeth were completed either in one (92/144) or two visits with an interim calcium hydroxide interappointment medication (52/144). Fifty-four percent (78/144) of the teeth were available for recall (60.3% one visit and 39.7% two visits). The maximum time to recall was 4.87 years. The mean time to recall was 19.4 months. Of the cases recalled for period of 1 year or longer, 93.5% of teeth treated in 1 visit healed, and 90.5% of teeth treated in 2 visits healed.

Irrigants in non-surgical endodontic treatment.

This paper highlights that one of the main goals of root canal treatment is the elimination of microorganisms from the contaminated root canal system. Instrumentation alone will not allow for adequate debridement and disinfection of the complex and diverse root canal system. Chemomechanical debridement is required. The importance of the use of irrigants during non-surgical root canal treatment has frequently been neglected both during instruction of dental students and later in the clinical practice of endodontics. The article highlights 'shape, clean and fill' vs. 'clean, shape and fill' to enable chemomechanical debridement. Our protocol advises mechanical debridement and copious irrigation for a minimum of twenty minutes with 2.5% to 6% solutions of sodium hypochlorite, followed by a rinse with a 17% solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and a final rinse with 2% chlorhexidine. The canals are dried with high volume aspirators and sterile paper points.