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Dental biomaterials have revolutionized modern therapies. Untreated dental caries remains the major etiological factor for endodontic treatment, and together with a decreasing rate of tooth loss escalates the importance of continuously improving the materials used for endodontic therapies. Endodontic biomaterials are used for vital pulp therapies, irrigation, intracanal medicaments, obturation and regenerative procedures. These materials offer several functions including: antimicrobial activity, mechanical reinforcement, aesthetics, and therapeutic effects. Vital pulp therapies have seen an improvement in clinical results with an incremental approach to build on the strengths of past materials such as calcium hydroxide and calcium silicates. While sodium hypochlorite remains the gold standard for canal irrigation, numerous nanoparticle formulations have been developed to promote sustained antimicrobial action. Gutta‐percha based bulk fillers remain the most common materials for root filling. However, while multiple studies focus on the development of novel formulations containing drugs, glass derivatives or ionic‐, polymeric‐, or drug‐ loaded nanoparticles, a lack of reliable and long‐term clinical evidence obligates further study as experienced clinicians prefer to use what has worked for decades. This review delves in to the biochemistry of the materials to scrutinize their shortcomings, and where opportunity lies to further enhance their efficacy in endodontic practice. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:201–212, 2020.

No abstract

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is the most commonly used endodontic irrigant due to its effective antimicrobial function and ability to dissolve organic matter. However, when NaOCl escapes from the root canal system, the cytotoxic effects are severe, regardless of the concentration used. A case of undiagnosed external root resorption that lead to the extrusion of a 1% NaOCl solution into the periapical soft tissues is presented. This report considers guidelines and highlights the obligation of clinical practices to develop protocols for, and to maintain, the ability to manage and treat accidents involving NaOCl.

In 2012, the School of Oral Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand modified its undergraduateendodontic curriculum which led to a need to assess the impact of curriculum changes on root canal treatmentoutcomes. This study was an audit of root canal treatment performed by undergraduate BDS students using postoperative radiographs, and compared the results between different undergraduate clinical years of study.Postoperative periapical radiographs of patients treated by undergraduate students were examined to assess length, density and taper. Two independent investigators were first calibrated, and thereafter assessed 299 endodontic cases that were performed by third, fourth and fifth year students during the 2013-2015 period at the Wits Oral Health Centre. 68.9%, 73.6% and 70.9% were found for adequate length, acceptable density and acceptable taper of root filling respectively. The most acceptable length, density and taper results were seen in patients treated by final year students, while the lowest results were observed in the fourth year student cohort. There was a tendency for third year students to overfill due to over-instrumentation of anterior teeth.The change in the curriculum has been justified, though room for improvement exists. The superior result found in the 5th year student cohort was most likely due to  their relative experience, and the use of rotary instrumentation and dental operating microscopes. Endodontic teaching should further emphasize the importance of length control during endodontic treatment and more stringent steps may be necessary during patient allocation and clinical supervision of fourth year dental students.

The SADJ is licensed under Creative Commons Licence CC-BY-NC-4.0. These materials can be biocompatible, hydrophobic or hydrophilic, biodegradable or non-resorbable, and so forth. Their versatility allows for structural changes to occur upon introduction to a biological environment, which is why they are a favoured component of

This study compared the transportation and centering ability of ProTaper Next (PTN) and WaveOne Gold (WOG) files in curved permanent teeth using micro-computed tomography (μCT). Twenty-four molar teeth with curved roots were divided randomly into two equal groups. The root canals of one group was prepared using PTN files, and the other using WOG files. Pre-instrumentation and post-instrumentation μCT imaging were taken for all the teeth. The dentine thickness of the pre-and the post-instrumentation cross sections was measured at eight different points at three levels: 3, 5 and 7mm from the apex, by two dentists using image analysis software. The data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, at a 5% significance level. The transportation in both groups was within the range accepted in the literature. The WOG file exhibited significantly less root canal transportation compared with the PTN file (p=0.001). The WOG file showed a significantly (p<0.001) higher mean centering ratio of 0.4286 when compared to that of PTN at 0.2448. Using a novel technique to measure canal transportation, this study found that the WOG and PTN systems were both suitable for preparation of curved molar root canals, but the WOG showed significantly less canal transportation and better centering ability than the PTN system.