Modern Endodontic Planning Part 2: Access and Strategy

Poor access and iatrogenic damage can result in failed root canal treatment. Understanding tooth anatomy improves access and ensures that the clinician is cleaning and shaping the whole root canal system. If a canal is missed treatment usually fails. This paper revisits tooth anatomy and discusses how to ensure that access is optimized, but not at the expense of precious tooth structure. The concept of multi-visit root canal treatment is also addressed with emphasis on the, often overlooked, aspect of temporization. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Good anatomical knowledge of teeth is the cornerstone of endodontics. Once root treatment has begun the clinician must be logical about how many visits to take and how to temporize teeth between such visits.