The psychological elements and female gender are the main predictors of seeking dental therapy. Understanding the prevalence of dissatisfaction with the present esthetics and desired treatments to improve esthetics can be a guide for strategies for intervention to improve esthetics.

The purpose was to measure and analyse the vertical force and torque developed in the wider and narrower root canals during hand ProTaper instrumentation. Twenty human incisors were divided in two groups. Upper incisors were experimental model for the wide, while the lower incisors for the narrow root canals. Measurements of the force and torque were done by a device constructed for this purpose. Differences between the groups were statistically analysed by Mann-Whitney U-test with the significance level set to P<0.05. Vertical force in the upper incisors ranged 0.25-2.58 N, while in the lower incisors 0.38-6.94 N. Measured torque in the upper incisors ranged 0.53-12.03 Nmm, while in the lower incisor ranged 0.94-10.0 Nmm. Vertical force and torque were higher in the root canals of smaller diameter. The increase in the contact surface results in increase of the vertical force and torque as well in both narrower and wider root canals.

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the state of the pulp and apical periodontium on the results of electronic root canal length measurement (ERCLM) with a resistance measuring device in dogs. Pulpitis and apical periodontitis were induced by pulp exposure and contamination by the oral flora in the premolar teeth of six mongrel dogs, comprising four experimental groups (36 root canals). In a control group, measured lengths of teeth with uninfected pulps were performed on the first experimental day (44 root canals). In all animals the ERCLMs were performed on teeth with healthy pulps, and at the end of the experimental period (20, 35, 50 and 65 days) following pulp exposure. The point of measuring canal lengths was the anatomical obstacle above the apical delta. Electronically measured lengths (EML) were compared between each other and with the root canal length established by tactile-sense measurement verified radiographically. The EMLs were less accurate in teeth with healthy pulps and teeth with pulpitis in the third experimental group (dif=2.27 x 2.65 mm(2); t test, p<0.05), while they were most precise after 65 days in teeth with completely necrotic pulp and established chronic apical periodontitis (dif=0.54 x 1.36 mm(2); t test, p>0.05). These results suggest that the state of the pulp and periapical tissue may have an influence on the ERCLM.