The 4th canal in the second maxillary molar
One of the most important things in Endodontics is planification, for that, we need to have an excellent knowledge of the pulp chamber anatomy as well as the different variants in configurations of the root canal system anatomy. Nowadays, and according to the American Association of Endodontists, the use of the CBCT is a standard in our field. This tool, allow us to see the tooth in a 3D model, and check the anatomy from every angle.
On the next case, I completed a root canal treatment in a second maxillary molar, almost the last tooth! the complexity of the case was the minimal mouth aperture of the patient and the tricky root canal anatomy with these 4 canals. Planning the cases before, allow me to do the treatments in a shorter and safer way.
PhD. MSc. Dr. Pablo Salmeron.
B.
In this post I’m going to talk about vertical fractures regarding a case I had a few months ago, the one on the right picture. This maxillary first premolar was ready to get a root canal therapy but presented a mesiodistally vertical coronal fracture that continued to the furca which divided the tooth in two roots, bucal and palatal. The tooth had an old restoration on the distal side that was not in occlusion and that probably let the fracture appear on the mesial area where you can see the line fracture. The tooth was also sensitive to vertical percussion and had some mobility, however, there wasn’t significant evidence or bone loss on the radiographic tests.
Most of the vertical fractures are due to excessive concentration of loading over some areas of the root canal. Studies have shown that the curvature of the root canal seems more important than the external morphology of the root, in terms of stress concentration, the remaining thin dentin increases the magnitude but not the direction of the stress generated by forces. In fact as thinner the mesiodistal dentin walls are, the concentration of forces on the lingual and bucal walls increase the risk of fracture in this direction contrary to what one might think at first, more dentin thickness the harder it is to break in that direction, well… it is not like that.
Diagnosis vertical fractures are a challenge for the dentist because the symptoms are similar to a failed root canal treatment and usually radiographic test doesn’t show evidence of a fracture clearly. Another problem in endodontically treated teeth is often the filling materials doesn’t allow us to see the fracture line on the radiograph as they’re in the same plane. Patients may experience anxiety to thinking that the endodontic treatment is not working when, in fact, the problem is a fracture prior or post to the root canal treatment.