Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to test the effect of different types of condensation, irrigants, filling materials and techniques, and variations in root canal preparation, on the success of sealing lateral and accessory canals, whose presence was determined before hand, and to relate certain inherent anatomic and morphologic characteristics of these canals to the amount of sealing obtained. Seventy-three teeth containing 85 lateral canals were instrumented and irrigated with either NaOCl, NaOCl-RC Prep or saline. The filling materials used were gutta percha, softened and unsoftened and Cavit. Half the teeth were filled using sealer. Final radiographs were studied for the success in obturating the 85 lateral canals. The major points determined were as follows:

  1. Many more lateral and accessory canals, both filled and unfilled, than can be observed radiographically, are present and may be responsible for some of our unpredictable failures.

    a. Lateral and accessory canals often course bucco-lingually through the tooth and even large canals when filled are often over looked in ordinary B-L radiographs.

  2. Lateral and accessory canals are found in all tooth groups and occur along the total length of the root. However, their greatest concentration seems to be in the apical 3 or 4 millimeters (about 65%).
  3. Lateral and accessory canals, while accounting for only a small percentage of endodontic failures, can often be obliterated without surgical intervention.
  4. Most methods and materials will give a similar satisfactory result, but a technique employing a sealer with a condensing pressure generating at least some lateral forces is best.
  5. While thorough irrigation using RC-Prep and NaOCl (or H2O2 and NaOCl), or at the very least, NaOCl alone, will give the greatest organic solvent effect, the final irrigant should be saline or sterile water to flush out any salt precipitates which may interfere with the sealing of the finer canals.
  6. Whatever the terminology, etiology or mechanics, it now appears to this writer that lateral and accessory canals do, indeed, play a role, which it may not be crucial in a large percentage of endodontic successes or failures, nevertheless, requires further study and evaluation.

Department

Dentistry

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Ronald E. Buell

Second Advisor

William L. Young

Third Advisor

Raleigh Cummings

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1973

Date (Title Page)

6-1973

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Dental Materials

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii; 92

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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