Clinical Update
The clinical update online is a free member service providing up to 11 FREE CPD hours per year.
Each month, the clinical update is published online and in the Victorian Dentist. There are 11 clinical updates per year, corresponding with the distribution of the Victorian Dentist from February to December. This service is available to ADAVB and ADATas members only. Members can log in to view and answer the clinical update questions. If you answer at least nine out of 10 questions correctly, you will receive one hour of scientific CPD.
Please note: Each new clinical update will be available from the first business day of each month.
The prevalence of second canals in the mesiobuccal root of maxillary molars: A cone beam computed tomography study
Nelson Alexander Fernandes, Dirk Herbst, Thomas Corne Postma, Belinda Kathleen Bunn. Aust Endod J 2019; 45: 46-50
Introduction
Root canal treatment is reliant on our ability to debride, disinfect and then obturate the root canal system. Success in these objectives requires detailed knowledge of endodontic anatomy and its variations. An inability to locate and treat all canals of a root canal system may lead to persistence or recurrence of infection and associated periapical inflammation.
Maxillary permanent molars are known to have variations in the anatomy of their mesiobuccal roots, which have been studied in the past using a range of radiographic, clinical and histological methodologies. The recorded prevalence of a second canal in the mesiobuccal root of such molars (MB2) varies with the method employed.
Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a non-invasive technique which can be used to reliably identify MB2 canals at the pre-treatment stage. This study assessed a database of CBCT images to determine the prevalence of MB2 canals in maxillary permanent molars.
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