Endodontics Theory Flashcards

1
Q

What is endodontics?

A

The study of the dental pulp and the tissues surrounding the root (periradicular tissues)

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2
Q

What is Stage 1 of a RCT?

A

Removal of vital or necrotic pulp tissues from the pulp chamber and root canal by shaping and cleaning

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3
Q

What is stage 2 of a RCT?

A

Sealing the pulp chamber and canals at both apical and coronal levels

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4
Q

What three things make up the endodontic triad?

A

Mechanical Shaping, Chemical Cleaning, Obturation to seal

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5
Q

What can you diagnose at the coronal part of the tooth from traditional x-rays?

A

the size, quality and removability of restorations; any caries and the restorability of the tooth; the space between the roof and the floor of the pulp chamber

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6
Q

What can you diagnose about the apical area of the tooth from traditional x-rays?

A

the length of root; the curvature of the roots; any radiolucencies; any periodontal defects; number of roots and canals; condition of lamina dura; PDL shade and width; any root resorption; any canal calcification; any root fractures

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7
Q

What type of advanced imaging can you use for endodontics?

A

CBCT or Micro CT

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8
Q

What can using CBCT or Micro CT imaging allow you to do?

A

accurately plan your treatment in advance

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9
Q

What are the examination procedures needed to make an endodontic diagnosis?

A

medical and dental history; chief complaint; clinical exam; clinical testing; radiographs; special tests

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10
Q

What is the clinical classification of normal pulp?

A

pulp is symptom-free and normally responsive to pulp testing

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11
Q

What is Reversible Pulpitis?

A

Inflammation of the pulp causing discomfort when exposed to a stimulus. The discomfort should resolve within a few seconds of the stimulus being removed

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12
Q

What are some typical etiologies of Reversible Pulpitis?

A

dentine hypersensitivity; deep caries/restorations

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13
Q

What is are Symptoms of Irreversible Pulpitits?

A

Pain on a stimulus that lingers. Can also cause spontaneous or referred pain.

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14
Q

What are some typical etiologies of irreversible pulpitis?

A

deep caries, extensive restorations, fractures exposing the pulpal tissues

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15
Q

What is asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis?

A

the vital inflammed pulp is incapable of healing and there are no clinical symptoms

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16
Q

What is pulp necrosis?

A

death of the dental pulp

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17
Q

What are some symptoms of pulp necrosis?

A

the pulp is non-responsive to pulp testing and is asymptomatic

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18
Q

Does pulp necrosis cause apical periodontitis?

A

no unless the canal itself is infected

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19
Q

What does ‘previously treated’ mean in regards to clinical diagnosis?

A

the tooth has been endodontically treated and canals are obturated with filling materials other than medicines

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20
Q

What does ‘previously initiated therapy’ mean in regards to clinical diagnosis?

A

the tooth has been previously treated by partial endodontic therapy such as pulpotomy or pulpectomy

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21
Q

What is symptomatic apical periodontitis?

A

inflammation of the apical periodontium

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22
Q

What is another phrase for symptomatic apical periodontitis?

A

Acute Apical Periodontitis (AAP)

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23
Q

What are some symptoms associated with Acute apical periodontitis?

A

pain on biting and/or percussion or palpation, radiographic changes

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24
Q

What is asymptomatic apical periodontitis?

A

inflammation and destruction of the apical periodontium that is of pulpal origin

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25
Q

What is another phrase for asymptomatic apical periodontitis?

A

chronic apical periodontitis (CAP)

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26
Q

What are some symptoms associated with Chronic Apical Periodontitis?

A

Apical radiolucency, no clinical symptoms

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27
Q

What is a chronic apical abscess?

A

an inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection and necrosis

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28
Q

What are some symptoms of a chronic apical abscess?

A

intermittent discharge of pus through a sinus tract, little or no discomfort, radiolucency around the apex

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29
Q

What is an Acute apical abscess?

A

inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection and necrosis

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30
Q

What are some symptoms of an acute apical abscess?

A

spontaneous pain, extreme tenderness upon pressure, pus, swelling of surrounding tissues, fever, feeling unwell, no radiolucency

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31
Q

What is condensing osteitis?

A

localised bony reaction to a low-grade inflammatory stimulus

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32
Q

What are some symptoms of condensing osteitis?

A

potential pain, diffuse radiopaque lesion normally at the apex of the tooth

33
Q

What are some examples of treatments for vital pulp?

A

pulpotomy, pulpectomy, pulp extirpation, indirect pulp capping, stepwise caries removal, direct pulp capping, chemo-mechanical caries removal method

34
Q

What is a pulpotomy?

A

amputates the inflamed coronal pulp and preserves the vitality of the pulp in the roots

35
Q

What is a pulpectomy?

A

complete removal of pulp from crown and roots

36
Q

What is pulp extirpation?

A

complete removal of dental pulp using a cleaning and shaping technique

37
Q

When would indirect pulp capping be performed?

A

When the cavity preparation is in close proximity to the pulp but with no obvious exposure

38
Q

What is indirect pulp capping?

A

a liner such as calcium hydroxide is placed over a layer of deep carious dentine which is firm but discoloured before it is covered by a provisional restoration

39
Q

What is direct pulp capping?

A

treatment of exposed pulp by sealing the pulpal wound with a dental material such as calcium hydroxide/MTA/biodentine to facilitate formation of reparative dentine

40
Q

What is an access cavity?

A

an endodontic coronal preparation which enables unobstructed access to the coronal orifices

41
Q

What are you aiming to achieve with an access cavity?

A

straight line access to the apical foramen, complete deroofing of the pulp chamber, conserving sound tooth structure, be able to provide support to temp fillings

42
Q

What is important to remember before starting an access cavity and why?

A

You should remove all the existing restorations to expose the naked tooth to assess the restorability of the tooth

43
Q

When do you not need to remove previous restorations?

A

if it is a recently fitted crown with a good outcome

44
Q

A study of what is needed before starting an access cavity prep?

A

pre-op periapical radiographs

45
Q

Why is it important to assess pre-op radiographs prior to access cavity prep?

A

assess tooth morph, anatomy of root canal system, length of canal, position and size of pulp chamber, distance of pulp chamber from occlusal surface, position of apical foramen, if there is any calcification/resorption of the roots

46
Q

What can happen if you don’t completely remove the roof off the pulp chamber?

A

there could be contamination or infection of the endodontic space, or discolouration of the endontically treated teeth

47
Q

Why is it important for the access cavity to permit the removal of all the chamber contents?

A

good endodontic cleaning begins with the removal of the endodontic contents from the pulp chamber and its horns

48
Q

Why is it important for the access cavity to permit complete and direct vision of the floor of the pulp chamber?

A

the landmarks on the floor help to identify the canal openings

49
Q

Why is it important that endodontic instruments should not be deflected by any obstruction in the crown?

A

the instruments should never touch the walls of the pulp chamber and should be able to move freely in the canal, they must be able to work on all sides of the canal, obstructions in the crown might fracture the instrument

50
Q

How can you check the position and depth of the pulp chamber?

A

you can align the burr and handpiece against the radiograph

51
Q

Are round or tapered burrs better for penetrating into the pulp chamber?

A

tapered

52
Q

How can you remove dentinal overhangs from the pulp chamber?

A

moving the burr in and out of the pulp chamber in without touching the floor of the pulp chamber

53
Q

Is the access cavity preparation larger in older or younger patients?

A

younger

54
Q

What shape should you aim to achieve with your access in anterior teeth?

A

triangular

55
Q

What shape should you aim to achieve with your access in premolars?

A

oval buccally-lingually

56
Q

What shape should you aim to achieve with your access in premolars?

A

trapezoidal or triangular

57
Q

What is periapical periodontitis?

A

inflammation of the periodontal ligament around the apex of the tooth

58
Q

What is the most common cause of periapical periodontitis?

A

infection from caries that reaches the pulp causing pulpitis and pulp necrosis

59
Q

What are three potential causes of periapical periodontitis?

A

infection, trauma to the apical region, chemical

60
Q

What are three ways trauma can occur to the apical region leading to periapical periodontitis?

A

high fillings, RCT, excessive occlusal force

61
Q

What are two ways chemicals may cause periapical periodontitis?

A

root filling materials extruding over the apex, irritant antiseptics

62
Q

Why may high fillings cause trauma to the periapical tissues resulting in periapical periodontitis?

A

the patient will bite here first and most of the biting force will be applied through one area

63
Q

What are the two ways we can classify periapical periodontitis?

A

acute and chronic

64
Q

What are some clinical features of acute periapical periodontitis? (name 4)

A

no hot/cold symptoms, TTT, tooth extruded from socket due to swelling, visible swelling, lymph node involvement, fever, generally feeling unwell

65
Q

What might you see radiographically for acute periapical periodontitis?

A

widening of the PDL

66
Q

What microscopic features might you see for acute periapical periodontitis?

A

acute inflammation between the apex and bone, pus, neutrophils, swelling in pdl, increased blood flow

67
Q

What cells replace the apical pdl in chronic periapical periodontitis?

A

chronic inflammatory cells such as lymphocytes, epithelial cells

68
Q

What are some clinical features of chronic periapical periodontitis?

A

symptomless, mild pain, localised tenderness, discoloured tooth, sinus

69
Q

What microscopic features might you see for chronic periapical periodontitis?

A

lymphocytes and plasma cells, resorption of bone, epithelial proliferation

70
Q

What are cell rests of malassez?

A

epithelial cell rests left over from tooth formation

71
Q

What are four ways you can manage chronic periapical periodontitis?

A

open drainage, RCT, removal of tooth apex, extraction

72
Q

What are the four ways acute periapical periodontitis can progress?

A

resolution, drainage into the oral cavity via PDL space, sinus formation, hypercementosis

73
Q

What determines the level of complications that may develop as a result of periapical periodontitis?

A

the severity, duration of irritant, integrity of patients defence mechanisms

74
Q

into which tissues can the infection due to periapical periodontitis spread?

A

skin, bone, lymph node, blood stream

75
Q

What is ludwigs angina?

A

infection that has spread to the floor of the mouth and crosses the midline which can cause airway obstruction

76
Q

How can you classify epithelial cysts?

A

odontogenic cysts or non-odontogenic cysts

77
Q

Are developmental or inflammatory odontogenic cysts the classic ‘dental cyst’?

A

inflammatory

78
Q

How can you classify cysts of the jaws?

A

epithelial cysts and non-epithelialised primary bone cysts

79
Q

How can inflammatory odontogenic cysts develop?

A

pre-existing chronic periapical periodontitis or loss of tooth vitality