Incidence of post obturation pain related to two root canal hand preparation techniques: a prospective clinical study

This prospective study was undertaken to determine the incidence of post obturation pain related to root canal treatment of asymptomatic non-vital maxillary central incisor teeth that were prepared and filled in one visit using two different manual root canal preparation techniques: the step-back and the step-down and to determine the relationship, if any between post obturation pain and root canal preparation technique. The incidence of post obturation pain was recorded and evaluated over an observation period of one week in 120 patients. Five patients were excluded from the analysis as they failed to attend for post obturation evaluation. Of the remaining 115 patients who returned for evaluation after 2 days following the obturation of the root canal system, 94 patients had no pain, 10 had slight pain, 9 patients had moderate pain and 2 patients had pain of severe nature for maxillary central incisor teeth instrumented and filled in one appointment. Clinical evaluation performed 7 days following the obturation of the root canal systems revealed that 3 patients had pain of moderate nature and were from the same group of patients who reported pain at the 2 days post obturation period. The incidence of post obturation pain of moderate and severe nature in a symptomatic endodontically treated non vital maxillary central incisor teeth was 9.5% after 2 days and 2.6% after 7 days following obturation. The percentage of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain after 2 days following obturation was 10.6% for the step back patients group and 8.6% for the step down patients group. At the 7 days post obturation period 3.5% of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain in the step back groups compared to 1.7% in the step down patients group. No statistically significant difference in the incidence and degree of post obturation pain was found between patients who had teeth treated endodontically using the step-down manual root canal preparation technique

Assessment of impressions made for fixed partial denture prosthesis in Jordan

This study was carried out to assess the quality of impressions sent to dental laboratories in Jordan. A sample of 136 impressions and stone casts were examined for technical errors in 35 laboratories that construct fixed partial dentures. They were sorted into these categories: unusable, unsatisfactory, acceptable or satisfactory The type of impression material and tray, opposing arch impressions, and occlusal records were noted. Instructions to technicians were assessed for completeness and clarity. Half of the specimens inspected were categorized as unusable or unsatisfactory. These were found in commercial dental laboratories. They showed at least one clinical error such as drags or indefinite finishing lines in impressions and inadequate reduction, undercuts, or obvious taper on stone casts. Alginate impression material was used of 655 up the cases. Only 27% of specimens were accompanied with instructions. Of these 22% were graded poor. No occlusal records were available with 54% of specimens and no articulators were used except in dental school laboratories. The quality of impressions were unsatisfactory or unusable in 50% of cases. Of the 37 available instructions 8 were not clear