Root – End Cavities

We all know cavities are bad, but do we know why? When parts of our teeth are permanently damaged or decayed, they develop into tiny holes where bacteria can enter. To close that up, dentists rely on strong filling material to fix the problem for good. In this experiment, the strength of such filling materials and the equipment used to prepare each cavity is tested. The push-out bond strengths of MTA and Biodentine, which are both filling materials, are tested against each other to observe any significant differences between the two. In addition to testing the filling materials, dentists also tested the differences between the techniques used to prepare the root-end cavities. Through this experiment, dentists hoped to observe the effectiveness of different root-end filling materials prepared with different techniques. 

To better understand the experiment, it is crucial to recognize the differences in both the filling materials and the techniques used to prepare the root-end cavities. The filling materials used in this experiment are MTA and Biodentin, both of which are equally effective in filling root-end cavities. MTA, otherwise known as Mineral trioxide aggregate, is a biocompatible filling, meaning it isn’t harmful to tissue alive in our bodies. MTA can also induce osseointegration: a process that creates a connection between the living bone in the body and artificial implants. Biodentine, a newer material, is also efficient as a filling and is used with dentin to formulate durable and lasting bonds. Dentin is made naturally by our bodies and is a hard and dense tissue.  The techniques used to prepare the root-end cavities also differ in many of their properties. The Er: YAG laser, for instance, is a reliable instrument that has the potential to break down hard tissues in the tooth due to its high water absorption. The Ultrasonic retro tip, which is viewed to be more effective, provides better access to the cavity, is cleaner, and enables quicker performance. 

The purpose of this experiment is to test the push-out bond strength of different filling materials prepared using two distinct techniques on root-end cavities. This experiment divided a sample of 40 canines and central incisors into four groups, with two groups using MTA as filling material and two groups using Biodentine as the filling material. The groups using MTA as filling material prepared their root-end cavities using two techniques; one group used the Er: YAG laser while the other used the Ultrasonic retro-tip. The groups using Biodentine as filling material also prepared their root-end cavities in the same way. Despite the different characteristics in both the filling materials and the techniques used to prepare the root-end cavities, the experiment yielded results that were not significant. 

The results of the experiment show that, statistically, the differences between root-end cavities prepared by the Er: YAG Laser and root end cavities prepared by the ultrasonic retro tip are insignificant. Interestingly, these statistics were collected using a Post Poc Tukey Test. In Latin, “post poc” means “after this”. This indicates that a post poc test is performed after an experiment in order to identify where differences lie between data collected from 3 or more experimental groups. These known differences are determined after specialists perform an ANOVA test on the data collected. An ANOVA test measures the statistical differences between experimental groups. An ANOVA test is used to evaluate if the differences between groups are significant, and if they are, then a post poc test is done to pinpoint where exactly the differences lie in the data. It is important that these tests are done to examine the effectiveness of an experiment. In this experiment, in particular, it is made clear that an abundance of endodontic failures stems from leakage at the root – end. This experiment asserted that regardless of which arrangement of filling to equipment, the procedure yields effective results.

As a high school student volunteers in the dental medicine department of a hospital, you need to understand that dentists use evidence-based practice in deciding which materials and techniques are to be used in performing root canals. Root canals are one of the fundamental treatment options available to dentists and patients in restoring functionality in teeth that are no longer vital. Part of your responsibilities as volunteers is to assist dentists in educating their patients about the treatment procedure, thus promoting oral health in the community. These responsibilities make it essential for volunteers to understand why and when a dentist chooses to do a root canal instead of alternative treatment like fillings or crowns. Volunteers should also understand these details in order to be able to provide patients with post-procedure dental care instructions.