Clinical application

Studies have shown that root canal fillings alone never offer a reliable seal, regardless of the material or technique employed. For this reason, the importance of an effective post-endodontic seal for the long-term prognosis of an endodontically treated tooth is similar to that of the endodontic treatment itself: The success rate of even a good root canal obturation is massively reduced if the seal is poor and insufficient.

If a root canal filling is exposed to the oral environment for more than three months, one must expect it to be infected throughout. This situation is not all that uncommon in everyday practice, as core restorations, fillings or crowns may develop leakage. If the affected teeth are subsequently re-treated, they will often develop apical lesions, or existing apical lesions may fail to heal. Health insurance guidelines that preclude immediate post-endodontic restorative treatment unintentionally aggravate the problem.

The Dentsply Endo-Resto System facilitates cleaning of the endodontic cavity following root canal treatment. The AH Plus Cleaner removes all excess AH Plus sealer. In a second step, the cavity floor and walls are lined with a thin-flowing composite resin (SDR) for a complete anti-bacterial seal. This article describes how this was implemented in a specific clinical re-treatment case.