Scanning microscopic evaluation of canal débridement as compared to present methods

Ninety-one samples of root canal contents were obtained from thirty-one teeth. The paper point samples were evaluated for exudate, subjected to bacteriologic analysis, and/or examined with the scanning electron microscope. A comparison was made between the presence or absence of exudate, positive and negative cultures, and the presence or absence of contaminants as examined under the SEM. All three methods of evaluation showed some degree of correlationmscanning electron microscopy appears to be a more sensitive test for canal status.