Applying the American Association of Endodontists and American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology guidelines for cone-beam computed tomography prescription: Impact on endodontic clinical decisions.

Background: The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) and the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR) developed guidelines for the prescription of cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging. The impact of appropriately prescribed CBCT imaging on endodontic diagnosis and treatment (Tx) decisions was examined.

Methods: The clinical databases at the School of Dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, were queried to identify patients referred for CBCT imaging from the postgraduate endodontic clinic over a consecutive 36-month period.

Reprint of: Prevalence and Characteristics of Root Resorption Identified in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scans.

Introduction: Root resorption is a destructive process that compromises tooth structure and can result in tooth loss. Often it remains asymptomatic and is an incidental finding on radiographic examinations. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence and characteristics of root resorption in patients referred for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging for a variety of indications.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Root Resorption Identified in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scans.

Introduction: Root resorption is a destructive process that compromises tooth structure and can result in tooth loss. Often it remains asymptomatic and is an incidental finding on radiographic examinations. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence and characteristics of root resorption in patients referred for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging for a variety of indications.

Contemporary endodontic treatment choices for adult patients with dens evaginatus and apical periodontitis: a case report with a 2-year follow-up.

Dens evaginatus (DE) frequently leads to pulp exposure and subsequent pulpal inflammation, pulpal necrosis, and periapical inflammation. This case report describes the application of regenerative endodontic therapy and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) apexification in a 22-year-old man with mandibular second premolars affected by DE and apical periodontitis. Regenerative endodontic therapy was performed after thorough debridement and placement of calcium hydroxide in the root canal of the left premolar.

Alkaline Materials and Regenerative Endodontics: A Review.

Periapical health is the primary goal of endodontic treatment in mature and immature teeth. In addition, the goals of treatment of immature teeth with arrested root development include root growth to length and maturation of the apex, as well as thickening of the canal wall. These goals are valid for immature teeth that have been subjected to trauma and dental caries or that are the result of developmental anomalies that expose the tooth to the risk of pulp necrosis and consequently result in the cessation of root maturation.

Revascularization-associated Intracanal Calcification: Assessment of Prevalence and Contributing Factors.

Introduction: Intracanal calcifications have been reported in endodontic cases after revascularization. The purpose of the current study was to determine the incidence of intracanal calcification and potential contributing factors in retrospective revascularization cases.

Methods: Among 37 patients who had undergone revascularization between 2010 and 2014, 29 cases were assessed with average follow-up period of 24.

Three-dimensional Sphere-forming Cells Are Unique Multipotent Cell Population in Dental Pulp Cells.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are typically cultured as adherent monolayer using a conventional tissue culture technique. However, this technique incompletely reproduces an in vivo microenvironment of stem cells and results in the loss of stemness properties. Three-dimensional (3D) sphere culture is one of the most widely used 3D culture techniques that have been developed to recapitulate the in vivo microenvironment.

An Evidence-based Review of the Efficacy of Treatment Approaches for Immature Permanent Teeth with Pulp Necrosis.

Introduction: Two fundamental assumptions for teeth treated with regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) are (1) that the clinical outcome is comparable with the traditional techniques of calcium hydroxide apexification and mineral trioxide aggregate apical barrier techniques and (2) that REPs will result in further root maturation.

Methods: A systematic review of the electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science) involved a search for studies that used quantitative assessments of root maturation. The search terms were "dental pulp," "regenerative endodontic therapy," "revascularization," and "revitalization.

Endodontic Treatment Outcomes.

The primary goal of conventional endodontic treatment is prevention and/or elimination of apical periodontitis for both mature permanent teeth and immature teeth with an open apex. Besides these goals, the objectives of endodontic treatment of immature teeth include preservation of pulp vitality and often further root maturation. Robust criteria for outcome assessment are an essential determinant for any measure of treatment success for both mature and immature teeth.

Pulp-dentin Regeneration: Current State and Future Prospects.

The goal of regenerative endodontics is to reinstate normal pulp function in necrotic and infected teeth that would result in reestablishment of protective functions, including innate pulp immunity, pulp repair through mineralization, and pulp sensibility. In the unique microenvironment of the dental pulp, the triad of tissue engineering would require infection control, biomaterials, and stem cells. Although revascularization is successful in resolving apical periodontitis, multiple studies suggest that it alone does not support pulp-dentin regeneration.

Molecular characterization of the microbial flora residing at the apical portion of infected root canals of human teeth.

Introduction: This study investigated the bacterial communities residing in the apical portion of human teeth with apical periodontitis in primary and secondary infections by using a culture-independent molecular biology approach.

Methods: Root canal samples from the apical root segments of extracted teeth were collected from 18 teeth with necrotic pulp and 8 teeth with previous endodontic treatment. Samples were processed for amplification via polymerase chain reaction and separated with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

The Antimicrobial Effect of Silver Ion Impregnation into Endodontic Sealer against Streptococcus mutans.

Pulpal and periradicular diseases are primarily caused by bacterial invasion of the root canal system as a result of caries progression. The presence of residual bacteria at the time of root canal completion (obturation) is associated with significantly higher rate of treatment failure. Re-infection of obturated root canals can be potentially prevented by enhancing the antibacterial activities of root canal obturation materials.

Endodontic treatment outcome: effect of the permanent restoration.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the presence of the coronal restoration and endodontic treatment success or failure.

Methods: This study comprised 200 endodontically treated teeth with 441 roots. Follow-up examination was conducted 4 +/- 0.

A new method for studying the adhesion of Candida albicans to dentin in the presence or absence of smear layer.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a reproducible, quantitative model of Candida albicans adhesion to human dentin through the use of a colorimetric method and to evaluate the effect of smear layer on candidal adhesion.

Study Design: Dentin disks with or without smear layer were incubated with C albicans (10(8) cells/mL) for 4 hours. After incubation, the disks were exposed to an (2,3)-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)-carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide-coenzyme Q solution for 2 hours.

Endodontic infection: some biologic and treatment factors associated with outcome.

Objective: We sought to investigate the simultaneous effect of apical periodontitis, instrumentation level, and density of root canal filling on endodontic treatment outcome.

Methods: For this study, 200 endodontically treated teeth with 441 roots were used. A follow-up examination was conducted 4 +/- 0.

Effect of interleukin-6 deficiency on the formation of periapical lesions after pulp exposure in mice.

Objective: The multifunctional cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has actions on multiple cell types, including promotion of the development of immune cells and osteoclasts. Periapical inflammation as the result of root canal infection is characterized by the accumulation of inflammatory cells and bone resorption. The effect of IL-6 on periapical lesion formation after pulpal infection is unknown.

A prognostic model for assessment of the outcome of endodontic treatment: Effect of biologic and diagnostic variables.

Objective: Many biological variables, endodontic treatment factors, and restorative considerations have been suggested in the literature to affect the outcome of endodontic treatment. However, few attempts have been made recently to study these variables further. The purpose of this study was to identify the biologic and endodontic treatment-associated variables that are most predictive of treatment outcome for conventional endodontic therapy and to determine the magnitude of risk these variables pose on the outcome.

Increased interleukin-8 expression in inflamed human dental pulps.

Objective: Elevated levels of interleukin-8, a potent chemoattractant and activator of neutrophils, are associated with infectious and inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about interleukin-8 expression in human dental pulp. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tissue levels of interleukin-8 are elevated in irreversibly inflamed human pulps.