Introduction The mental foramen (MF) is a bilateral opening localized on an anterior surface of the mandible. A precise location as well as well-defined shape, size, and number of the MF is crucial for different clinical dental procedures. The aim of this study was to determine a size and location of the MF in relation to the lower teeth using the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) study. Material and Methods In a group of 201 patients (106 males and 95 females) the CBCT images were performed using the GX CB-500 device (Gendex, USA). Results No significant differences in values of the horizontal (H) and vertical (V) diameters as well as the H:V ratio on both sides in relation to the age of participants were found. In males both average values of a horizontal diameter (p=0.031) and vertical diameter (p=0.001) were significantly higher on the right side than in the female subgroup, whereas on the left side only an average value of a vertical diameter was significantly higher in men (p=0.006) in comparison to women. Moreover, the H:V ratio was significantly lower in males on the left side (p=0.032). There were no significant relationships between age and gender of the patients (p>0.05) and the type of mental foramen on the right and left sides. Conclusions The application of the CBCT study enabled a precise determination of the shape, size, and position of the mental foramen in relation to the neighboring anatomical structures on a representative group of the Polish patients. The results obtained may contribute to guidelines for dental procedures including anesthesia of the mental nerve and endodontic, implantology, and dental surgery with regard to the location of mental foramen depending on the sex and age of patients.

A -koncepcja i projekt badania, B -gromadzenie i/lub zestawianie danych, C -analiza i interpretacja danych, D -napisanie artykułu, E -krytyczne zrecenzowanie artykułu, F -zatwierdzenie ostatecznej wersji artykułu StreszczenieWprowadzenie. Chemomechaniczne opracowanie kanału korzeniowego odgrywa najważniejszą rolę w leczeniu endodontycznym. Bardzo istotne jest również zachowanie integralności i umiejscowienia struktur anatomicznych w wierzchołkowym odcinku kanału oraz unikanie nadmiernego osłabienia korzenia wskutek błędów na etapie opracowania. Szczególne wyzwanie stanowią kanały o dużym stopniu zakrzywienia. Współcześnie wprowadzono wiele niklowo-tytanowych narzędzi, zwiększając tym samym efektywność opracowania kanałów i bezpieczeństwo pracy w porównaniu z narzędziami wykonanymi ze stali nierdzewnej. Cel pracy. Porównanie opracowania sztucznych kanałów w kształcie litery L z użyciem ProTaper Universal ® , ProTaper Next ® i WaveOne Gold ® . Materiał i metody. Trzydzieści bloczków z wykonanymi wewnątrz kanałami w kształcie litery L użyto w badaniu i podzielono na 3 grupy (po 10 w każdej). Kanały zostały opracowane do rozmiaru 25 przy wierzchołku, w każ-dym przypadku sekwencją narzędzi zalecaną przez producenta. Wskaźnik centralnego położenia narzędzia podczas pracy w kanale, zmianę długości roboczej oraz transportację wierzchołka poddano ocenie. Wyniki. Użycie narzędzi WaveOne Gold zapewniło najbardziej centralną preparację okolicy przywierzchołkowej sztucznych kanałów w kształcie litery L. Większe odchylenie od oryginalnego przebiegu kanału odnotowano dla narzędzi ProTaper Next. Praca narzędziami ProTaper Universal szczególnie w kanałach zakrzywionych, jak wynika z przeprowadzonych badań, powoduje natomiast największe zmiany w przebiegu kanału. Najmniejszą średnią zmianę długości roboczej oraz transportację wierzchołka zaobserwowano po instrumentacji narzędziami WaveOne Gold. Wnioski. Spośród badanych narzędzi najlepszą skuteczność w opracowaniu sztucznych kanałów typu L wykazują narzędzia WaveOne Gold (Dent. Med. Probl. 2016, 53, 2, 222-229).Słowa kluczowe: niklowo-tytanowe narzędzia rotacyjne, opracowanie kanałów korzeniowych, bloczki żywiczne, ruch recyprokalny. AbstractBackground. Chemomechanical preparation of the root canal system is a key factor in endodontic therapy. It is also important to maintain the integrity and localization of anatomical structures in the apical region of the canal and avoid excessive weakening of the root as a result of errors which occur during preparation. One of the challenges in endodontic treatment is the preparation of canals with high degree of curvature. Nowadays, many nickel--titanium instruments have been introduced, thereby increasing the efficiency and safety of root canal preparation, as compared to stainless steel hand files.

BackgroundAccessory mental foramen (AMF) is a rare anatomical variation. When accessory mental foramen is present, the nerves and vessels that go through the mental foramen (MF) must follow alternative courses and special care must be taken during dental treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and the location of AMF in a selected Polish population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).MethodsTwo hundred CBCT (105 males and 95 females) examinations were evaluated for the presence of AMFs. The location and side of AMFs were reported. The mean distance between MF and AMF was also calculated. The vertical size of MF on the side with and without AMF was measured. The obtained variables were statistically analyzed.ResultsAMFs were observed in 7% of the patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the appearance of AMF and sex (p > 0.05). We found no significant difference in the vertical size of MF between individuals with and without AMFs (p < 0.05).ConclusionTwenty-eight AMFs (7%) were observed from 400 sides of 200 patients. AMFs occurred more often in males (18 AMFs) than in females (10 AMFs). Twenty AMFs (71.4%) were located anteriorly, and eight (28.6%) - posteriorly. Fifteen AMFs (53.6%) were on the right side and thirteen (46.4%) - on the left.

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The evaluation of the porosities within the interface of root canals obturated with endodontics materials is extremely important for the long-term success of endodontic treatments. The aim of this study was to compare initial and long-term volume of pores (total, open, closed) and porosity (total, regional) of three bioactive endodontic sealers: GuttaFlow Bioseal, Total Fill BC Sealer, and BioRoot RCS. Root canals were obturated with three “bioactive” sealers using the single-cone technique. The volume of open and closed pores and porosity were calculated using a micro-computed tomography (MCT) method. The measurements were performed after 7 days (initial) and after 6 months (long-term) of incubation. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. The total volume of pores remained unchanged after the 6-month storage. GuttaFlow Bioseal exhibited significantly higher long-term volume in open pores than Total Fill BC Sealer. The total porosity in all the tested sealers presented no statistically significant change after the 6-month storage, except for BioRoot RCS. The total porosity values of this latter material significantly increased after long-term incubation, especially in the apical region. In conclusion, the use of bioactive sealers with excessive tendency to create porosities both in shorth- and long-term periods of storage may compromise the long-term success of endodontic treatments.