Endodontics in the 21st century: the rotary revolution.

Endodontic therapy is becoming an increasingly routine facet of general dental practice. Advances in technology and techniques have made endodontics in the contemporary clinical environment more pleasant and predictable for both the patient and the provider. The development of rotary instrumentation with nickel-titanium files has revolutionized the cleaning and shaping aspects of treatment. A sequenced model is discussed that has been shown to have encouraging outcomes in both predoctoral and continuing education experiences. The protocol may use more instruments than some other approaches, but has evolved as a technique that provides reliable and predictable outcomes.

Improvements in chronic diseases with a comprehensive natural medicine approach: a review and case series.

Approximately 40% of the US population report using complementary and alternative medicine, including Maharishi Vedic Medicine (MVM), a traditional, comprehensive system of natural medicine, for relief from chronic and other disorders. Although many reports suggest health benefits from individual MVM techniques, reports on integrated holistic approaches are rare. This case series, designed to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated, multimodality MVM program in an ideal clinical setting, describes the outcomes in four patients: one with sarcoidosis; one with Parkinson's disease; a third with renal hypertension; and a fourth with diabetes/essential hypertension/anxiety disorder. Standard symptom reports and objective markers of disease were evaluated before, during, and after the treatment period. Results suggested substantial improvements as indicated by reductions in major signs, symptoms, and use of conventional medications in the four patients during the 3-week in-residence treatment phase and continuing through the home follow-up program.

Radiographic appearance of titanium posts in endodontically treated teeth.

Titanium and titanium alloy posts are currently being used in complex dental restorations. Titanium posts have been shown to be less radiopaque than stainless steel and to have a radiographic density similar to gutta-percha. This radiographic similarity can make detection of a titanium post difficult. Failure to identify the presence of a titanium post before the initiation of retreatment could cause significant complications for the treating endodontist. Five cases are presented to describe the radiographic subtleties that can be used to detect the presence of a titanium post.

Localization of anatomic structures before endodontic surgery with tomograms. Report of a case.

Tomograms taken before endodontic surgery can demonstrate the location of root apices relative to adjacent anatomic structures. This buccolingual perspective is not depicted on conventional periapical or panoramic radiographs. Accurate length determination from the root apex to the inferior alveolar canal is simplified, and the relationship of root surfaces to the buccal and lingual plates is well visualized on the tomographic images.

An evaluation of the clinical analgesia/anesthesia efficacy on acute pain using the high frequency neural modulator in various dental settings.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of high frequency neural modulation as a substitute for traditional local anesthesia in various dental procedures. This double-blinded study was done to evaluate patient comfort and degree of satisfaction as well as manageability of pain control by the operator during the dental procedures. Procedures included restorations, tooth extractions, root planing, pulp extirpation, and temporomandibular joint therapy. In the experimental group, favorable responses ranged from 0.0% to 92.8%, depending on the procedures. An overall favorable rating of 71.8% was given by the experimental group, and an overall favorable response of 8.5% was given by the placebo group.

Two dental x-ray films compared for rater preference using endodontic views.

Four groups of patients were selected during various phases of endodontic therapy to receive two comparable radiographic exposures. One exposure was made with Kodak Ultraspeed dental x-ray film and the second exposure was made with Kodak Ektaspeed dental x-ray film. The films were coded and mounted in a side-by-side format to be judged by thirty raters. A double-blind clinical protocol was followed. Ultraspeed film was judged superior to Ektaspeed film in terms of contrast, image quality and rater satisfaction.

Dental management of the chronic vomiting patient.

A review of dental erosion secondary to medical or psychologic causes (or both) has been presented. Clinical signs and symptoms and appropriate restorative therapy have been discussed. Diagnosis and stabilization of the chronic vomiting patient must precede definitive restorative procedures.

Differential diagnosis of some simple osseous lesions associated with sickle-cell anemia.

Sickle-cell disease is characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, rapid destruction of defective erythrocytes, with consequent circulatory disturbances. Thromboses and infarctions with resultant osseous manifestations tend to be localized in the ends of the long bones or in the medullary area, the latter often becoming apparent in the jaws. Three case reports are presented to illustrate osseous changes observed in the jaws of these sickle-cell patients. The radiographic findings demonstrate the adaptive mechanisms of bone metabolism in response to vascular infarction, infection, or both in some sickle-cell anemia patients. A differential diagnosis is suggested for osseous lesions observed in the jaws of these patients.