Maxillary premolars in this Egyptian subpopulation had a wide range of root and canal anatomical variations. Clinicians should be aware of where canals merge and diverge to facilitate the treatment of all canals. The new system for classifying canal morphology describes the root and canal configurations in a more accurate and practical manner compared to the Vertucci classification.

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BACKGROUND:Diabetes mellitus is a multisystem disease which weakens the human’s immunity. Subsequently, it worsens the sequelae of apical periodontitis by raising a fierce bacterial trait due to the impaired host response.AIM:This study aimed to estimate bacterial reduction after using different irrigation techniques in systemically healthy and diabetic patients with asymptomatic apical periodontitis.MATERIAL AND METHODS:Enterococcus faecalis, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Fusobacterium necleatum bacteria were chosen, as they are the most common and prevailing strains found in periodontitis. Bacterial samples were retrieved from necrotic root canals of systemically healthy and diabetic patients, before and after endodontic cleaning and shaping by using two different irrigation techniques; the conventional one and the EndoVac system. Quantitive polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was utilised to detect the reduction in the bacterial count.RESULTS:The EndoVac irrigation system was effective in reducing bacteria, especially Peptostreptococcus micros in the diabetic group when compared to conventional irrigation technique with a statistically significant difference.CONCLUSION:The EndoVac can be considered as a promising tool in combination with irrigant solution to defeat the bacterial colonies living in the root canal system. Additional studies ought to be done to improve the means of bacterial clearance mainly in immune-compromised individuals.

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Objectives As post-endodontic pain control is one of the main targeted addressed in endodontics, our aim was delignated to compare two different methods for low-level laser application utilizing diode laser: low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and laser-activated irrigation (LAI) in the control of post-endodontic pain. Materials and subjects A total of 180 patients received single-visit root canal treatment; they were randomly allocated into 3 equal groups. Group I received LAI, group II received LLLT, and group III served as control with normal root canal treatment and mock laser intervention (ML group). Postoperative pain was recorded using visual analogue scale (VAS) after 24, 48, and 72 h. Data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results At 24 h, there was a statistically significant difference between median pain scores in the three groups (P value < 0.001) with ML group scored highest score followed by LAI and then LLLT group. At 48 h, there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups (P value < 0.001), with ML group scoring highest median pain scores while LLLT and LAI showed statistical insignificant scores. At 72 h, there was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups (P value = 0.179). Conclusion LLLT is superior to LAI and ML group in the control of immediate postoperative pain after 24 h while after 48 h both LAI and LLLT were equally effective, but they still showed significant differences when compared to ML group. Clinical relevance Diode laser can be used by clinicians as it decreases the post-endodontic pain in patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis undergoing endodontic treatment.

Objectives This study addresses the effect of using nanoparticles (np) on the antimicrobial properties of bioactive glass (BAG) when used in intracanal medicaments against Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ) biofilms. Materials and Methods E. faecalis biofilms, grown inside 90 root canals for 21 days, were randomly divided into 4 groups according to the antimicrobial regimen followed ( n = 20; BAG-np, BAG, calcium hydroxide [CaOH], and saline). After 1 week, residual live bacteria were quantified in terms of colony-forming units (CFU), while dead bacteria were assessed with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Results Although there was a statistically significant decrease in the mean CFU value among all groups, the nano-group performed the best. The highest percentage of dead bacteria was detected in the BAG-np group, with a significant difference from the BAG group. Conclusions The reduction of particle size and use of a nano-form of BAG improved the antimicrobial properties of the intracanal treatment of E. faecalis biofilms

Introduction: This study aimed to compare Guttaflow bioseal, MTA-Fillapex, and AH plus with regards to their adaptability on dentin surface. Methods: Thirty (n=30) single rooted human teeth were instrumented and divided into three groups according to the type of sealer used (each n=10). All root canals were obturated with lateral compaction technique. Roots were cut longitudinally and evaluated for adaptability using scanning electron microscope (SEM) at 1500x. Five readings were taken for the widest gap distances at the three thirds of the root for each specimen. Results: AH plus group showed less mean values of gap distances than the other groups at apical and middle two thirds, while GuttaFlow bioseal mean gap distance was less at the coronal one third. MTA-F group showed the higher mean values among the three thirds of the root with no significant difference. Conclusion: AH plus showed superior adaptability than GuttaFlow bioseal, while the worst was MTA-Fillapex.

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