Intracanal medicaments may alter dentin microhardness, potentially compromising the structural integrity of endodontically treated teeth. Therefore, it is of interest to compare the effects of triple antibiotic paste (TAP), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and a control on root dentin microhardness using extracted human teeth and a Vickers hardness tester. Both medicaments significantly reduced dentin microhardness compared with the control at the coronal, middle and apical thirds (p < 0.05). TAP produced the greatest reduction in microhardness, whereas calcium hydroxide better preserved dentin hardness, indicating its superior suitability as an intracanal medicament. Thus, data show the preferential use of calcium hydroxide we encourage further research on natural intracanal medicaments and advanced methods for assessing dentin integrity.
Early detection of dental caries is critical for implementing effective preventive measures, yet traditional radiographic interpretation often lacks consistency due to observer variability. Therefore, it is of interest to compare the diagnostic performance of AI-assisted and conventional radiographic interpretations for detecting early carious lesions. Hence, a total of 100 subjects were randomly assigned to either the AI-assisted or conventional interpretation group, with diagnostic accuracy assessed using sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy. Thus, we show that AI-assisted interpretation outperformed conventional methods, with higher sensitivity (84%) and diagnostic accuracy (82%). This advancement highlights AI's potential to significantly improve early caries detection in dental practice.
Pain and fear associated with rotary instruments remain a challenge in pediatric caries management. Hence, this randomized controlled clinical trial included 30 children aged 6-10 years requiring restoration in primary mandibular molars. Caries removal was performed using an airotor or Carie-solve, with pain assessed using the verbal pain scale and treatment time recorded using a stopwatch. Carie-solve showed significantly lower pain scores, while the conventional technique required significantly less time (p = 0.0001). Carie-solve may serve as a minimally invasive, child-friendly alternative for caries removal in pediatric patients.
Achieving an effective and durable apical seal remains a major challenge in endodontic treatment and is critical for long-term treatment success. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the apical microleakage among root canals obturated with different bioceramic sealers. Apical sealing ability was assessed to determine the effectiveness of each sealer in minimizing leakage. The results showed that bioceramic sealers exhibited superior sealing performance compared with conventional resin-based sealers, with EndoSequence BC Sealer showing the least microleakage. Thus, data show the sealing efficacy of bioceramic sealers, supporting their use for improving the predictability and success of endodontic therapy.
Post-operative pain following root canal therapy remains a common clinical concern and is frequently associated with apical extrusion of debris, microorganisms and irrigating solutions during canal instrumentation. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate post-operative pain following instrumentation with Hand ProTaper (control), ProTaper Next (rotary), and Neo-Endo (reciprocating) systems in 45 patients undergoing endodontic treatment. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. The reciprocating system (Neo-Endo) demonstrated lower post-operative pain scores compared to the rotary and hand instrumentation groups. Thus, we show that reciprocating instrumentation may be more effective in minimizing post-operative discomfort following root canal therapy.
