Stomatológ 2020, 30(1):30-34 | DOI: 10.69658/sto.2020.006

Root tip resection and root canal filling

Peter Plachý^*, Marek Matajs

Klinika stomatológie a maxilofaciálnej chirurgie LF UK a OÚSA, Heydukova 8, Bratislava

The authors state that even a resected root should have a perfect filling, which ensures a good closure of the edges and thus prevents the penetration of infection from the root into the periapical area and vice versa. Preferred is root filling done under visual control during operation. During the operation, the root canal gets completely widened, cleaned, dried; the filling material is put, and a possibly thickest gutta-percha pin is inserted into the canal. This ensures perfect tightness of the filling. It is advisable to fill the root canal during the operation even in a case when the tooth does not tolerate the cap.

This is the so-called surgery-assisted endodontics. If the root filling is not tight enough and re-endodontics is no more possible for instance for a root superstructure.

The only method to save the tooth is a retrograde filling, which is inserted in a phase after cutting the root tip. MTA is a preferred material for the retrograde filling, but zinc oxide eugenol cements and glass-polymer cements have good ratings, too. Amalgam is unacceptable as a retrograde tooth filling today.

Keywords: root tip resection, orthograde and retrograde root canal filling

Published: June 15, 2020  Show citation