The influence of the surgical operating microscope in locating the mesiolingual canal orifice: a laboratory analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of using the surgical operating microscope (SOM) for detection of the mesiolingual (ML) canal orifice in extracted first maxillary permanent molars. One hundred and eight human first maxillary permanent molars were randomly selected and mounted onto a dental chair mannequin. Conventional access cavity was prepared and an attempt was made to locate the mesiolingual canal orifice using only a sharp explorer, a mirror and a #10 K-file. A mesiolingual canal orifice was either located or not located. If not located, the teeth were then evaluated by using a surgical operating microscope (SOM). The mesiobuccal roots of all teeth where the ML canal orifice had not been located were sectioned in an axial plane and the sections were explored with an adjunctive use of the SOM at a 25 X magnification. ML canal orifices were detected in 58 teeth using only a sharp explorer, a mirror and #10 K-file. In the remaining 50 teeth, 37 ML canal orifices were located by using the SOM and 3 ML canal orifices were located after root sectioning. In 10 teeth, the ML canal orifices were not found. The results of this study showed a high incidence of a ML canal in the mesiobuccal roots of the first maxillary molars (90.7%) and demonstrated that the adjunctive use of the SOM increased the ability of the dental clinician to locate the ML canal orifice.

Comparison of Detection Rate of Root Canal Orifices of Maxillary First Molar Using Various Techniques: An in-vivo Study

“…Buhrley et al [12] also detected an increased number of mesiobuccal canals with the help of dental loupe and SOM. Previous authors also suggested that magnification and illumination increased the detection rate of root canal orifices [8,13,14]. The use of ophthalmic dye increased the results from 50% (SOM) to 52%.…”

Retreatment of a C-shaped maxillary second molar: case reports and literature review

“…Ultrasonic tips were used to clean the isthmus and grooves, and ultrasonic agitation of the irrigants was applied to maximize the root canal disinfection. Several studies have reported that the combined use of magnification and CBCT images significantly enhanced the success of root canal treatment and retreatment [ 33 , 34 ]. Meanwhile, some concepts such as champagne test, color roadmap and white line test could be useful to find untreated canals in root canal retreatment.…”

Multiple root canals in the maxillary molar: an unusual case report

“…With routine use of the DOM, specific instruments are necessary to increase the clinical procedure's efficiency and effectiveness. The higher magnification and illumination can be used for locating supernumerary canals and improving the discovery of root canal orifices [ 17 ]. Studies have shown that the combined use of magnification and CBCT images significantly facilitates the location and negotiation of root canals in upper molars [ 16 , 18 ].…”