Tag Archives: MTA

August 7, 2015

The Young & The Resilient

By Dr. Mahmoud Ektefaie, Certified Specialist in Endodontics

When deciding on an endodontic-restorative plan for a tooth, one should always keep in mind the age of the dental pulp (i.e. patient’s age). Younger dental pulp = more cellular, vascular, defensive and therefore resilient.  This fact can help us decide on a more appropriate and conservative treatment for a tooth when facing pulp exposure as a result of trauma or caries excavation.

Vital Pulp Therapy (VPT) techniques is attempted in order to remove the reversible pulpal injury, to preserve the vitality of the pulp and to ultimately allow continued root/tooth growth.  The technique comprises: a) good isolation, b) complete caries removal, c) disinfection of the access cavity with NaOCl, d) stopping the bleeding with a moist cotton pellet, e) applying pulp capping material such as ProRoot® MTA or Biodentine™, and f) restoring the access cavity with permanent restoration after confirming the setting of the capping material.

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In the above case Direct Pulp Capping with MTA, irrespective of the size of carious exposure, was performed because this 13 year-old patient presented with non-lingering, non-spontaneous and reversible pulpitis symptoms.  In addition, carious exposure resulted in fresh bleeding from pulp horns that could be stopped with applying moist cotton pellet.  If a patient presents with irreversible pulpitis symptoms, other VPT techniques should be considered.

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October 26, 2013

Not Every Hole is a Canal!

By Dr. Mahmoud Ektefaie, Certified Specialist in Endodontics

Sometimes when we try locating canals during access preparation stage, we may accidentally exit the pulp chamber in the wrong spot and create perforations.  Perforations or accidental communications need to be repaired as soon as possible in order to achieve the best possible prognosis.  The choice of repair material depends on the location and the size of perforation. MTA is still one of the best materials that can be used to seal the pulp floor perforations as long as it is not communicating with the sulcus.

To Prevent Perforations:
1. The pulp chamber floor is always at or slightly below the level of CEJ and the canals are located at the periphery of the pulp chamber floor.  Any attempt to locate canals farther apically may result in perforation.
2. The chamber floor colour is always greyish. If the colour during locating canals is turning dentin-colour, that would be the best time to stop and reorient ourselves.
3. Always probe around the CEJ to gain a better appreciation the outline of the root trunk, as the chamber floor is at the center and concentric to the CEJ outline.
4. When in doubt, stop and take an X-ray to confirm that treatment is progressing in the right direction.

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To Treat Perforations:
1. If facing significant difficulty with locating canals, the procedure should be stopped, the tooth should be medicated with CaOH, and patient should be referred out for proper care.  More digging may result in multiple perforation sites, further weakening of the tooth structure and enlargement of the existing perforation site, which ultimately results in an unfavorable outcome.
2. If canals are already located, ignore the perforation site, complete the root canal treatment and repair the perforation site with MTA.  Attempting to repair the site before obturating the canals may result in the repair material occluding the shaped and cleaned canals.
3. When dealing with established infection in the canal system which benefits from the utilization of short term CaOH medicament, the perforation site can be repaired and sealed before final obturation. In this case, the other canals need to be protected by paper points while the site is being repaired (the above case).

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June 26, 2013

MTA…saving open apices one tooth at a time!

By Ellen Park, DDS, Cert(Endo), MSc, FRCD(C)

Providing root canal treatment can be challenging in teeth with incomplete root formation. The apex is large and open, the canals walls are thin and fragile, and this makes disinfection and obturation hard to do. Before the advent of MTA, calcium hydroxide was used in teeth with open apices over a long period of time, anywhere from 6 months to 24 months, to induce a calcified barrier over the open root apex. It was and still is a very effective treatment modality, especially with a good coronal seal. Calcium hydroxide is also still very important for treating resorptions, and aiding in disinfection of root canals! However, we now know that keeping calcium hydroxide for many months in a weak root can possibly further weaken dentin, and using MTA can shorten the treatment time to one or two visits. The placement of a “plug”, usually a 3-5 mm plug of MTA at the end of an open apex root canal, provides an “instant” apical barrier against which we can place gutta percha and sealer into the remainder of the root canal.

In this particular case, the patient was going to have new crowns placed very soon. I removed the old gutta percha quite easily with a #35 Hedstroem file, and you can see all sorts of things growing on it in the photo! Because the tooth was purulent and “weepy”, the root was allowed to drain for a few minutes, and then irrigated with 5.25% sodium hypohlorite using a closed-end side-vented irrigation needle after the working length was determined. I packed calcium hydroxide into the root for about 2 weeks in this tooth before doing the one-visit MTA apexification procedure due to the continued exudate and to aid in disinfection.

On the day of MTA apexification, this is what I did:

1. Rubber dam of course, irrigate calcium hydroxide out with full strength sodium hypochlorite, circumferential filing, and final irrigation procedures

2. Dry the canal. At this point, if the canal continued to well up with exudate, I would consider remedicating with calcium hydroxide.

3. Place an apical matrix of collagen (for example, Collacote) if you feel you might need an apical matrix to “contain” your MTA plug; this serves as a support against which you can gently condense the MTA.

4. Using a small carrier, such as a Dovgan carrier or MAP system (like a mini amalgam carrier), place MTA as far apically as possible, and then carry/tamp down gently using a pre-measured plugger or a moist paper point (a big one, like extra coarse!).

5. I usually take a radiograph here after the first 1 mm increment, to make sure that I have placed it flush with the root apex. Once this is confirmed, you can place a 3-5 mm plug.

6. The rest of the canal can be obturated with sealer and thermoplasticised GP, and the tooth definitely restored. Many also advocate placing a damp cotton pellet and temporary filling before definitively restoring the access to ensure the MTA has set. In the x-ray, I have placed 5 mm of MTA, sealer and GP on top, a 2 mm layer of glass inonomer, and then a bonded restoration (double seal). The dentist has completed the case with beautiful crowns.

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