Long-term Success and Survival of Endodontic Microsurgery

Two- and three-dimensional healing assessment after endodontic microsurgery in through-and-through periapical lesions: 5-year follow-up from a randomized controlled trial

AIM

To evaluate clinical and radiographic outcome of endodontic microsurgery in through-and-through periapical lesions at 1-year and 5-year follow-up with adjunct use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

METHODOLOGY

Thirty-two patients with large through-and-through periapical lesions were randomized in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) group and control group. Two-dimensional (2D) healing was evaluated with Molven's criteria and three-dimensional (3D) healing with modified PENN 3D criteria. Healing at resection plane (R), apical area (A), buccal cortex (BC), palatal cortex (PC) and overall bone healing (B) was assessed using CBCT scans. The volume of lesion was measured using ITK-Snap software. The analysis included comparison of 1- to 5-year intragroup (Friedman test/McNemar test) and intergroup scoring (Chi-square/ Mann-Whitney test). Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of various factors on healing at 5 years.

RESULTS

Out of 32 patients/59 teeth evaluated after 1-year of endodontic microsurgery, 24 patients/44 teeth reported at 5 - year follow-up. Healing assessment with modified PENN 3D criteria revealed improvement in overall success rate of 66.7% at 1 year to 83.3% at 5 years, with no deterioration in any healing category. PRP group exhibited significantly better 3D healing than control group; both at 1 year (84.6% vs. 45.5%) and 5 years (100% vs. 63.6%). A significantly higher number of completely healed teeth were observed in PRP group than the control group at 5 years with respect to R, BC and B parameters. A volume reduction of 88% (91.4% PRP, 84% control) was depicted at 1 year and 94% (97.1% PRP, 91.1% control) at 5 years. None of the recorded factors including age, gender, size of lesion, preoperative swelling and sinus, histology of lesion, use of PRP, tooth location, preoperative buccal bone had significant effect on 3D healing at 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

This 5-year study suggested improvement in 3D radiographic healing of large through-and-through periapical lesions from 1 to 5 years with no deterioration in any healing parameter in both control and PRP groups. The additional use of PRP led to significantly better healing in such lesions. RACB index using CBCT allows better estimation of healing at resected, apical and cortical plane over modified PENN 3D or Molven's criteria.

Endodontic Microsurgery Outcomes over 10 Years and Associated Prognostic Factors: A Retrospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate long-term healing outcomes (10-17.5 years) after contemporary endodontic microsurgery (EMS) and identify the associated prognostic factors.

METHODS

Clinical and radiographic data of an EMS cohort (2006-2013) from the electronic database of the dental hospital were reviewed retrospectively by 2 independent examiners to determine their survival and healing outcomes, and potential prognostic factors were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

Through strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and 721 EMS-treated teeth in the cohort, 309 (42.9%) were included (male = 35.0%; female = 65.0%; age = 45.83 ± 15.53 years) with a mean final follow-up of 152.26 ± 26.37 months (range, 120-211 months; median = 148 months). Clinical and radiographic assessments found an 80.5% 10-year survival rate with 63.4% of success. Collectively, tooth type, tooth mobility, preoperative lesion size, clinical crown-to-root ratio, and crown restorations at follow-up were significantly associated with long-term success and survival over 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative status and condition of the tooth including its alveolar bone support and adequate full-crown restorations may be relevant prognostic determinants of success and survival after EMS over time.

Efficacy of the GentleWave System in the removal of biofilm from the mesial roots of mandibular molars before and after minimal instrumentation: An ex vivo study

AIM

To compare the efficacy of Enterococcus faecalis biofilm removal using the GentleWave System (GWS) (Sonendo Inc, CA) on non-instrumented versus minimally instrumented root canal systems.

METHODOLOGY

Thirty-four mandibular molars were autoclaved and allocated to four groups: Negative control (n = 5); positive control (n = 5); Group 1: non-instrumentation + GWS (NI + GWS) (n = 12); and Group 2: minimal instrumentation + GWS (MI + GWS) (n = 12). Of 34 samples, 24 samples with Vertucci type 2 configuration within the mesial root of each sample were allocated to Groups 1 and 2 and then matched based on the working length and root canal configuration. After inoculation of samples with E. faecalis for 3 weeks, the GWS was used on Group 1 without any instrumentation and Group 2 after instrumentation of mesial canals until size 20/06v. CFU and SEM analysis were used.

RESULTS

Log10 (CFU/mL) from the positive control, and Group 1 and 2 were 7.41 ± 0.53, 3.41 ± 1.54, and 3.21 ± 1.54, respectively. Both groups showed a statistically significant difference in the reduction of viable E. faecalis cells compared to the positive control (Group 1 [p = .0001] and Group 2 [p < .0001]), whilst showing no significant difference between the two tested groups (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

The use of GWS on the non-instrumented root canal system could be an effective disinfection protocol in removing the biofilm without dentin debris formation.

Dynamically guided transantral piezoelectric endodontic microsurgery: A case report with technical considerations

AIM

Endodontic microsurgery (EMS) of maxillary molars may represent a complex challenge to the clinician due to the location of the roots and the proximity of the maxillary sinus floor. This report aimed to describe the simultaneous use of a computer-assisted dynamic navigation (C-ADN) system and piezoelectric bony-window osteotomy for the transantral microsurgical approach of a maxillary left first molar with adequate root canal filling and symptomatic apical periodontitis.

SUMMARY

This case report highlights the importance of C-ADN to carry out a minimally invasive buccal surgical access to palatal roots affected by apical periodontitis and provides a practical example to help clinicians make treatment decisions based on the available evidence. Clinical and tomographic evaluations were performed before the surgical procedure and at 24-month follow-up. This case was treated using a C-ADN system fitted to a piezotome for the buccal approach of the buccal roots, maxillary sinus membrane lifting, and for transantral location, root-end resection, cavity preparation, and filling of the palatal root. The navigation system allowed to achieve an accurate apical canal terminus location and root-end filling of the three roots with a minimally invasive piezoelectric crypt approach. At the 24-month follow-up examination, the patient remains asymptomatic, with normal periapical structures, and regeneration of maxillary sinus walls. It was concluded that the combination of dynamic navigation with piezoelectric bony-window osteotomy offers enhanced accuracy, tissue preservation, diminished risk of iatrogenic complications, and could maximize success and survival rates in transantral EMS.

Advanced Materials for Clinical Endodontic Applications: Current Status and Future Directions

Endodontics has significantly evolved in recent years, with advancements in instruments, biomaterials and nanomaterials science playing a pivotal role [...].

The effect of hard tissue defects on the clinical outcome of endodontic microsurgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this systematic review was to appraise the existing literature on the effect of hard tissue defects on the clinical outcome of endodontic microsurgery (EMS).

METHODS

MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and grey literature were searched from January 2000 to May 2023. Study selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Eligible studies were critically appraised for the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of bias tool. The quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Review Manager (RevMan Computer program Version 5.4, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2020) was utilized and the Mantel Haenszel fixed or random effects model was applied, depending on the heterogeneity of the studies. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the Risk ratio (RR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CIs) to correlate the effects of these factors on treatment outcomes.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies were included. The EMS overall pooled success rate was 84.5%. Five characteristics of hard tissue were identified. The size of the lesion (Small ≤ 5 mm: 78.4% vs. Large > 5 mm: 63.3%, RR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.00-1.26, P ≤ .05), significantly affected the outcomes of EMS. Endodontic lesions exhibited slightly better outcomes than endodontic-periodontal lesions (81.4% vs. 68.2%, RR = 1.14 95% CI 0.98-1.33, P > .05). Cases with the height of the buccal bone > 3 mm also exhibited slightly better outcomes (91.5% vs. 71.4%, RR = 1.20, 95% CI 0.88-1.62, P > .05). Additionally, through and through lesions exhibited better outcomes when grafting was completed during the EMS procedure both in 2D (RR = 1.12 95% CI 0.97-1.29, P > .05) and 3D evaluation ((RR = 1.28 95% CI 0.69-2.37 P > .05). The overall quality of evidence was graded as low to high.

CONCLUSION

With a low to high quality of evidence, the size of the lesion is a key prognostic variable that significantly affects the outcome of EMS, as lesions ≤ 5 mm exhibit better outcomes as compared to larger lesions.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The presence of hard tissue defects can affect the outcome of endodontic microsurgery (EMS). The presented data can aid the clinicians' decision-making process by examining certain pre-operative prognostic variables, when considering EMS as a treatment option. Clinical cases with more favorable hard tissue characteristics lead to a better prognosis in EMS.

Clinical and radiological outcomes of dynamic navigation in endodontic microsurgery: a prospective study

OBJECTIVES

This study was aimed at evaluating the clinical and radiological outcomes of novel dynamic navigation (DN)-aided endodontic microsurgery (EMS), with an analysis of potential prognostic factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-six teeth from 32 patients who received DN-aided EMS were included. Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed at least 1 year postoperatively. Two calibrated endodontists assessed radiological outcomes according to two-dimensional (2D) periapical radiography (PA) and three-dimensional (3D) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging using Rud's and Molven's criteria and modified PENN 3D criteria, respectively. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis of the predisposing factors.

RESULTS

Of the 32 patients with 46 treated teeth, 28 with 40 teeth were available for follow-up. Of the 28 patients, four (five teeth) refused to undergo CBCT and only underwent clinical and PA examinations, and the remaining 24 (35 teeth) underwent clinical, PA, and CBCT examinations. Combined clinical and radiographic data revealed a 95% (38/40) success rate in 2D healing evaluations and a 94.3% (33/35) success rate in 3D healing evaluations. No significant effect was found in sex, age, tooth type, arch type, preoperative lesion volume, preoperative maximum lesion size, presence/absence of crown and post, and the root canal filling state on the outcome of DN-aided EMS.

CONCLUSIONS

DN-aided EMS has a favorable prognosis and could be considered an effective and reliable treatment strategy. Further investigations with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these results.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

DN-aided EMS could be considered an effective and reliable treatment strategy.

Evaluating the efficacy of endodontic microsurgery for teeth with an undeveloped root apex and periapical periodontitis after nonsurgical treatment failure

AIM

To determine the efficacy of endodontic microsurgery for teeth with an undeveloped root apex and periapical periodontitis caused by an abnormal central cusp fracture after failed nonsurgical treatment.

METHODOLOGY

Eighty teeth in 78 patients were subjected to endodontic microsurgery. All patients were clinically and radiologically examined 1 year postoperatively. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 27.0 software.

RESULTS

Of the 80 teeth in 78 patients, periapical lesions had disappeared in 77 teeth at 1-year postoperative follow-up, with a success rate of approximately 96.3% (77/80). The efficacy of endodontic microsurgery was not affected by sex, age, extent of periapical lesions, and presence of the sinus tract. Between-group differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Endodontic microsurgery can be an effective alternative treatment option for teeth with an undeveloped root apex and periapical periodontitis caused by an abnormal central cusp fracture after nonsurgical treatment failure.

Patient-related outcomes and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in endodontics

There is increased interest in outcome measures that complement the classic goal of endodontics, being the prevention and healing of apical periodontitis. Possible outcome measures can be subdivided into patient-centred outcomes (PCOs), encompassing data collected by nonpatients aiming to assess the effectiveness of an intervention and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), which are reported directly by the patient. PROs can be subsequently classed into PRO measures that ascertain patients' view of their symptoms, their functional status, and their health-related quality of life, and patient-reported experience measures that focus on aspects including the humanity of care, patient satisfaction, patient preference and adherence, personal costs, expectation fulfilment, and decision regrets. The present review aims to define various patient-related outcomes and discuss the literature available regarding PCOs and PROs in endodontics. This includes those proposed to assess the effectiveness of endodontic treatment for pulpitis and apical periodontitis for use in the development of European Society of Endodontology S3-level clinical practice guidelines that have been included by all working groups, except for the radiographic assessment of apical periodontitis. Based on limited evidence in the field, it can be summarized that after recall periods of various lengths, endodontic treatment is associated with a high likelihood of tooth survival and limited need for further intervention, including extraction and further restorative procedures. Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) is likely to improve following the completion of treatment. Nonetheless, the literature assessing the association between OHRQoL and endodontics is hampered by the use of instruments that have not been previously validated. Amongst the remaining outcome measures discussed in the present review, it is worth highlighting that there is only one study assessing exacerbations in teeth with the presence of endodontic pathosis, which suggests a very low incidence of this adverse effect following endodontic treatment. Patients' expectation fulfilment, adherence, and satisfaction are closely inter-related and depend also on various nonclinical factors. Further studies assessing PCOs and PROs, in association with healing and prevention of apical periodontitis, are required to better understand endodontic treatment from the perspective of patients.

Factors that influence the outcomes of surgical endodontic treatment

Surgical endodontic treatment encompasses a broad spectrum of procedures, amongst which root-end cavity preparation and filling, retrograde root canal treatment and through-and-through endodontic surgery, may be classified under the umbrella term 'Root-end surgery'. This narrative review considers the available data on periapical healing, soft tissue healing, tooth survival and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), following root-end surgery and the factors that affect its outcomes. The pooled periapical healed rate for the studies published up to 2021 was 69% (95% CI: 65%, 73%) but increased to 76% (95% CI: 66%, 86%) when only data from the 2020's studies were analysed. The prognostic factors consistently reported for periapical healing have included: pre-operative periapical lesion with complete loss of buccal plate, quality of root-end preparation, remaining thickness of apical root dentine and restorative status. Soft tissue healing of the reflected flap was found to have a positive association with periapical healing. The survival rates following root-end surgery range from 48% to 93%, with failure of periapical healing associated with root and crown fracture, being the predominant reasons for tooth extraction. The factors influencing impact of root-end surgery on patients' quality of life could not be adequately evaluated due to design flaws in the available studies. In conclusion, if root canal treatment failure due to leakage through cracks, fractures or restoration margin are excluded, the remaining cases may represent localized residual infection and inflammation at the periapex that should be amenable to predictable management with the aid of modern root-end surgery.

Tooth survival after endodontic treatment

BACKGROUND

There are several measures that are, or could be, in use in relation to estimating the outcome of endodontic treatments. It is important to reflect on when and why a certain outcome measure is used; when caring for an individual patient it is obvious that the goal always should be a tooth in a healthy state, that is striving to remove any infection and aim for the tooth to have healthy periapical tissues. For patients in general and for society, it is also interesting to know if endodontic treatments will lead to retention of teeth in a functioning state. From epidemiological studies, with high prevalence of root filled teeth with periapical radiolucencies, it is implied that dentists and/or patients accept the retention of a root filled tooth with persistent apical periodontitis. In conjunction with an endodontic treatment the prognosis is considered and since the prognostic factors seem to be somewhat different depending on whether one is considering for example the outcome 'healthy periapical tissues' or 'tooth survival' they are equally important to know. Factors affecting the outcome 'healthy periapical tissues' probably has to do with removal of infection and reconstituting the barrier to prevent leakage whilst 'tooth survival' is more likely associated with factors outside of the classical endodontic field such as restorability and avoidance of further destruction of tooth substance. Objective This narrative review will focus on tooth survival after endodontic treatment and root canal treatment will be the focus. Method The search was performed in PubMed. Results As a crude estimation, there is to be an annual loss of 2% of teeth which have received a root canal treatment. Conclusion Of the pre-, peri- and postoperative factors that have been studied in conjunction with root canal treatments the restoration of the tooth is the factor that has been most extensively studied. Many studies imply that root filled teeth restored with indirect restorations have a better survival than teeth restored with direct restorations, it is not possible to determine whether this indeed is a prognostic factor. Registration None.

The effect of periapical lesion size on the success rate of different endodontic treatments: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

This systematic review evaluated the effect of periapical lesion (PL) size on the success rate of different endodontic treatments, including root canal treatment (RCT), non-surgical retreatment (NSR), and apical surgery (AS).

METHODS

Cohorts and randomized controlled trials investigating the outcomes of endodontic treatment of permanent teeth with PL and its size were identified electronically through Web of Science, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases. Two reviewers independently conducted the study selection, data extraction, and critical appraisal process. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the 11-item Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist for randomized controlled trials. The success rates of the endodontic treatments (small lesions and large lesions) were estimated using the rate ratios (RRs) with an associated 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Out of 44 included studies, 42 were cohort, and 2 were randomized controlled trials. Thirty-two studies had poor quality. For the meta-analysis, five studies in RCT, 4 in NSR, and 3 in AS were considered. The RR of the endodontic treatment success in PLs was 1.04 in RCT (95% CI, 0.99-1.07), 1.11 in NSR (95% CI, 0.99-1.24), and 1.06 in AS (95% CI, 0.97-1.16). Only sub-group analysis of long-term follow-up of RCT showed a significantly higher success rate in small lesions than in large lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the quality of studies and variation in outcomes and size classification, our meta-analysis demonstrated that the PL size had no significant effect on the success rate of different endodontic treatments.

The effect of imaging modality on the evaluation of the outcome of endodontic surgery

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the imaging modality on the evaluation of the outcome of modern surgical endodontic treatments, based on a systematic review of the literature.

METHODS

Strict inclusion criteria were adopted in order to identify studies that assessed the outcome of surgical endodontic treatments. Treatment success rates were pooled. The effect of the imaging modality used for the outcome assessment, and the methodological quality of the studies (based on the risk of bias (ROB)), were evaluated.

RESULTS

Nineteen articles were included. The success rates assessed by periapical (PA) radiography were significantly higher than when cases were evaluated by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT; 90 and 35% respectively). This difference was mainly due to a significant proportion of cases that were assessed by CBCT as uncertain healing (48%) compared to only 4% using PA. The success rates ranged between 86 and 92% in low ROB studies, and between 19-100% in high ROB studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcome assessment based on CBCT may lead to significantly lower estimates of rate of success, and higher rates of uncertain healing, thus presenting a dilemma in the decision-making following surgical endodontic treatment. The success rates of studies with lower methodological quality are more variable than for high quality studies.

Leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin in endodontic microsurgery: a report of 2 cases

Endodontic microsurgery is a predictable treatment option when orthograde treatment or retreatment is unsuccessful or unfeasible. However, when there is a gross compromise of periapical bone, achievement of bone regeneration after the surgical procedure may be hampered. In such cases, the application of guided tissue regeneration principles, with adjunctive use of leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin to fill the bone defect as a bone substitute and as a membrane to cover the site, provides a cost-effective solution with the benefits of accelerated physiological healing and reduced post-surgical pain and discomfort. This case report presents 2 cases of endodontic microsurgery of the upper lateral incisors with loss of buccal cortical plate, where platelet-rich fibrin was successfully applied.

Machine learning models for prognosis prediction in endodontic microsurgery

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to establish and validate machine learning models for prognosis prediction in endodontic microsurgery, avoiding treatment failure and supporting clinical decision-making.

METHODS

A total of 234 teeth from 178 patients were included in this study. We developed gradient boosting machine (GBM) and random forest (RF) models. For each model, 80% of the data were randomly selected for the training set and the remaining 20% were used as the test set. A stratified 5-fold cross-validation approach was used in model training and testing. Correlation analysis and importance ranking were conducted for feature selection. The predictive accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), F1 score, and the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated to evaluate the predictive performance.

RESULTS

There were eight important predictors, including tooth type, lesion size, type of bone defect, root filling density, root filling length, apical extension of post, age, and sex. For the GBM model, the predictive accuracy was 0.80, with a sensitivity of 0.92, specificity of 0.71, PPV of 0.71, NPV of 0.92, F1 of 0.80/0.80, and AUC of 0.88. For the RF model, the accuracy was 0.80, with a sensitivity of 0.85, specificity of 0.76, PPV of 0.73, NPV of 0.87, F1 of 0.79/0.81, and AUC of 0.83.

CONCLUSIONS

The trained models were developed by eight common variables, showing the potential ability to predict the prognosis of endodontic microsurgery. The GBM model outperformed the RF model slightly on our dataset.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Clinicians can use machine learning models for preoperative analysis in endodontic microsurgery. The models are expected to improve the efficiency of clinical decision-making and assist in clinician-patient communication.

Adjunctive use of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in the surgical treatment of periapical lesions: a case series

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is being used in endodontics to improve orthograde root canal disinfection as an adjunct to standard treatments. Conversely, evidence concerning the application of aPDT in retrograde endodontic surgery is limited. Thus, the aim of the present study was to provide additional data regarding the use of aPDT in the surgical endodontic treatment of periapical lesions.

METHODS

A total of 25 consecutive patients presenting teeth with periapical radiolucency eventually associated with clinical signs and symptoms of apical periodontitis were included. Following access flap completion, osteotomy, mechanical debridement, root apical third resection, and preparation of the root-end cavity, aPDT was applied to decontaminate the surgical site using phenothiazine chloride dye at a concentration of 10 mg/mL and irradiation with a hand-held 100-mW diode laser with a wavelength of 660 ± 10 nm. At the latest follow-up visit, healing was evaluated as successful, uncertain, or failure according to well-established clinical and radiological criteria.

RESULTS

Overall, 31 periapical lesions were treated with aPDT. Healing proceeded uneventfully. The mean follow-up time was 36.19 months, with times ranging from 12 to 85 months. A total of 25 (80.65%) cases were classified as successful, 5 (16.13%) as uncertain, and only one (3.22%) as failure. Irrespective of the treatment outcome, all treated teeth were still functional, with no symptoms reported by the patients.

CONCLUSION

aPDT as an adjunctive treatment modality in the surgical endodontic treatment of periapical lesions showed promising medium-term results associated with preservation of all diseased teeth.

Comparison of the sealing ability of various bioceramic materials for endodontic surgery

Objectives

Endosequence Bioceramic Root Repair Material (BC-RRM) is used in endodontic microsurgery. It is available as a paste and a putty. However, no studies to date have examined the sealing ability of these forms alone or in combination as root-end filling materials. Hence, this study aimed to compare the sealing properties of these 2 forms of BC-RRM.

Materials and Methods

Forty-two extracted upper anterior teeth were divided into 3 experimental groups, a positive and negative control. After the root canal treatment, the root ends were resected, retroprepared and retrofilled with either putty, paste + putty or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). The teeth were mounted in tubes so the apical 3 mm was submerged in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth. The coronal portions of the canals were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and BHI broth and incubated for 30 days. The broth in the tubes was analyzed for colony forming units to check for leakage of bacteria from the canal. The teeth from the groups were sectioned and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Kruskal-Wallis test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data with a significance level p < 0.05.

Results

The BC-RRM and MTA groups showed similar sealing ability. The positive control showed leakage in all samples. The SEM imaging showed the presence of bacteria in all experimental groups at the material-tooth interface.

Conclusions

No significant differences were noted in the experimental groups, providing sufficient evidence that any combination could be effectively used during endodontic microsurgery.

Impact of Periodontal Attachment Loss on the Outcome of Endodontic Microsurgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Objectives: Endodontic microsurgery (EMS) aims to eradicate the sources of infection once the apical root resection removes most of the infected anatomical structures and repairs potential procedural errors in the apical region. An endodontic-periodontal lesion yields a pathological communication between the pulp and the periodontium. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the impact of periodontal attachment loss on the outcome of teeth submitted to EMS. Materials and Methods: PRISMA guidelines were followed. An electronic search was performed in EBSCOhost, Embase and PubMed databases with the following search key: (“endodontic microsurgery” AND “outcome”). No filters were used concerning the year of publication or language. Only randomized clinical trials, prospective and retrospective clinical studies in humans, with a minimum one-year follow-up, defined clinical and radiographic outcome criteria and estimable success rate for endodontic-periodontal lesion were included. Statistical analysis was performed using OpenMeta[Analyst] software. Results: Of a total of 113 articles, 34 were selected for full-text reading after duplicates deletion and title and abstract analysis. Thirteen and six studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, respectively. A total of 2775 pooled teeth were submitted to EMS, of which 492 teeth and 4 roots had periodontal involvement. According to the qualitative analysis, success rates of the endodontic-periodontal group ranged from 67.6% to 88.2%. Meta-analysis revealed that the absence of periodontal attachment loss was predictive of a higher likelihood of success with an odds ratio of 3.14. Conclusions: Periodontal attachment loss presents a risk factor for EMS outcome. Although endodontic-periodontal lesions were associated with lower success rates considering a 1 to 10 years follow-up period, long-term successful prognosis following EMS has been reported, therefore presenting a fully valid and viable therapeutic option for the management of this type of lesions.

Effect of Heat Softening versus Ultrasonic Removal of Root-End Gutta-Percha on the Quality of Root-End Preparation for Endodontic Microsurgery

This study is aimed at comparing the efficacy of heat softening and ultrasonic removal of root-end gutta-percha during retrograde preparation for root apical microsurgery. Recently extracted single-rooted premolars (n = 40) were prepared with standardized endodontically treated and root-end resection and then randomly divided into four groups that received root-end cavity preparation using four different instruments: a diamond-coated ultrasonic tip (AS3D; SACTEON, Paris, France), AS3D with the modified plugger of cordless heat carrier (MSE; B&L Biotech, Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA), stainless steel ultrasonic tip (Jetip-2; B&L Biotech, Bala Cynwyd, PA, USA), or Jetip-2 with MSE. The time required for root-end preparation was recorded. The root apex samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy to assess root surface microcracks and marginal integrity. The remnants of gutta-percha on the cavity walls were evaluated using a stereomicroscope. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test (P < 0.05). Usage of MSE with Jetip-2 significantly reduced preparation time from 99.8 ± 6.8 s to 32.4 ± 1.0 s (P = 0.009), the number of microcracks from 42 to 13 (P = 0.036), and the remnants of gutta-percha from 80% to 20% (P = 0.041). Similar results were observed for AS3D with MSE. The heat softening of MSE was effective in cleaning gutta-percha, thus greatly improving the efficiency of the root-end preparation, thereby producing a root-end cavity with fewer microcracks and better marginal integrity.

Long-Term Prognosis of Endodontic Microsurgery-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and objectives: The long-term outcome of endodontic microsurgery (EMS) performed on root-filled teeth affected by post-treatment apical periodontitis (AP) has been a matter of debate, re-launched by the introduction of novel root-end filling materials which have been proven to improve the short-term outcome of EMS. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the clinical and radiographic long-term outcome of endodontic microsurgery in teeth diagnosed with secondary AP through radiographic evaluation. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined a priori to select the best longitudinal evidence. Only randomized clinical trials (RCT) and prospective clinical studies (PCS), with a follow-up ≥ 2-year, and exhibiting well-established clinical and radiographic outcome criteria, were selected. Results: A total of 573 articles were obtained, from which 10 fulfill inclusion criteria: 6 PCS and 4 RCT. Meta-analysis showed a pooled proportion of success rate of 91.3%, from an overall amount of 453 treated teeth included in RCT; from overall 839 included teeth in PCS, a pooled success rate of 78.4% was observed, with the follow-up time ranging from 2 to 13-years. Survival rate outcomes varied from 79 to 100% for the same follow-up period. Five prognostic factors with influence on the outcome were disclosed: smoking habits, tooth location and type, absence/presence of dentinal defects, interproximal bone level, and root-end filling material. Conclusions: High success rates and predictable results can be expected when EMS is performed by trained endodontists, allowing good prognosis and preservation of teeth affected by secondary AP.

Prognostic Factors of Long-Term Outcomes in Endodontic Microsurgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study over Five Years

The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term outcomes of endodontic microsurgeries in a cohort and identify their association with prognostic factors. A cohort of endodontic microsurgeries followed up periodically with complete clinical and radiographic records for at least 5 years were reviewed retrospectively. Their survival and healing status and profile characteristics were analyzed by Pearson chi-square test and logistic regression (α = 0.05) to identify prognostic factors that influenced outcomes. Of 652 cases in the cohort, 225 (34.5%) were included. The mean follow-up period was 90.4 months (range, 60–168 months). The long-term success rate was 80.5%, and the 5-year survival rate was 83.5%. Logistic regression showed higher success in anteriors compared to molars (OR = 5.405, (95% CI, 1.663–17.571; p = 0.005)) and in teeth with crown restorations (OR = 10.232, (95% CI, 3.374–31.024; p < 0.001)). Conversely, lower success was found in teeth with periodontal disease (OR = 0.170, (95% CI, 0.032–0.900; p = 0.037)) and maxillary sinus involvement (OR = 0.187, (95% CI, 0.035–0.994; p = 0.049)). Endodontic microsurgery has a highly favorable long-term outcome. Tooth position, crown restoration, periodontal disease, and maxillary sinus involvement were identified as main prognostic factors.