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action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/tcfmicroendo/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114By Dr. Adam Monroe<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The following case perfectly exemplifies the importance of Cone Beam CT scanning technology during endodontic treatment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I first met with Mrs. R on 12\/20\/12. She had a Zirconium crown delivered on tooth #14 (UL first maxillary molar) in the first week of December and the tooth had been sensitive to biting and chewing since then. Her general dentist made on occlusal adjustment the day before sending her to our office for an evaluation.<\/p>\n My clinical findings showed that in fact #14 was the only tooth sensitive to biting and percussion in the UL quadrant. All other teeth were testing within normal limits.\u00a0 Radiographic exam revealed no definitive evidence of periapical bone loss and infection although the pulp chamber and canals were very calcified (Figure 1<\/strong>). The tooth was not responding to cold, however I was concerned that the calcification and\/or presence of the crown were giving me a false negative.<\/p>\n Figure 1: Initial PA radiograph for tooth#14. Calcified pulp system. Areas of periapical bone loss are difficult to visualize.<\/p><\/div>\n I explained to Mrs. R that her pain to biting and chewing (apical periodontitis) could be the result of couple of different scenarios\u2026<\/p>\n 1-<\/strong> The sensitivity to biting was a result of hyperoclussion and crown simply needed to be adjusted, a common issue for newly cemented full coverage restorations. When the crown is fitted to the opposing dentition in a balanced way, any sensitivity should gradually diminish over a period of a few weeks. The negative cold testing in this case is a false negative. The nerve is alive and well, however, as a result of the heavily calcified pulp system and the presence of the crown, I am not able to produce a normal response with a cold test. No treatment recommended.<\/p>\n 2-<\/strong> The sensitivity to biting is the result of an apical periodontitis as a result of the periapical tissues responding to the presence of bacteria within the pulp system. The nerve is dead and pulp is necrotic and infected. This scenario of course requires root canal treatment<\/a> to remove the bacteria from the inside of the tooth and resolve the infection.<\/p>\n Since the adjustment to the crown was made the day before I met Mrs. R, we decided to take a conservative approach and wait a few weeks, hoping her symptoms would resolve.<\/p>\n Mrs. R returned again on 1\/8\/13 complaining that unfortunately her symptoms had worsened. She continued to experience discomfort to biting and chewing, however the tooth was now sensitive to palpation near the apices of the MB and DB roots and she was experiencing an intermittent dull ache.<\/p>\n At this time we had enough evidence to suggest an endodontic diagnosis of necrotic pulp\/symptomatic apical periodontitis and root canal therapy was started.\u00a0 I accessed through the crown and into the pulp chamber to find the pulp was necrotic and the pulp system was very calcified. MB, DB, and P canals were detected quickly and fully instrumented. There was a fin extending from the MB orifice 3mm in the palatal direction however I was unable to find a definitive MBII canal even after searching with the ultrasonic instrument.<\/p>\n A little side note about the ever so elusive MBII canals in first maxillary molars\u2026the research shows they are there a majority of the time. I will take it a step further and say they are almost ALWAYS there. In fact I don\u2019t remember the last time I treated a first maxillary molar and didn\u2019t find one. Using microscopes on every case is a beautiful thing!<\/em><\/p>\n