Spinal Tap Needle Technique for Creating Apical Plug with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate in Immature Permanent Teeth

This report evaluates the apical plug formation in two cases with necrotic immature maxillary central incisors in 11 and 12 years old female patients by the use of spinal tap needle to create apical plug-in single increment without any residual mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) attachment to the wall of the root canal.

The shape of the immature root canal resembles a truncated cone. To achieve a truncated cone with MTA on the apical 4 mm in order to plug the open apex, the volume of material that will be required can be calculated by taking spinal tap needle (BD Spinal, Spain) equal to the last file used, in a way that the MTA extruded is equal to the amount required to shape the apical plug in a single increment.

A uniform void-free apical plug was made in single increments by using this technique.

This spinal tap needle is very economical, available in various sizes corresponding to endodontic K files, so spinal tap needle method is a viable method to create uniform void-free accurate apical plug in one increment without the wastage of material and time preventing the material to extrude beyond.

Yadav P, Virdi MS. Spinal Tap Needle Technique for Creating Apical Plug with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate in Immature Permanent Teeth. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(3):380-384.