In essence,
endodontics as a clinical discipline is concerned with the prevention and treatment of pulpal and periapical
infection. In recent research the infective process has been investigated as well as the mechanisms by which the pulp and periodontium deal with microbial insults. With regard to the pulp, findings on the hemodynamics of
pulpitis suggest that the inflammatory response in this tissue is much less influenced by the special anatomic environment of the tooth than was previously believed. Pulpal diseases are being underdiagnosed, mostly because of inadequate examination methods.
Laser Doppler flowmetry which gives a vascular rather than a nervous response may gain importance in pulpal diagnostics in the future. It is established that
apical periodontitis with
bone resorption cannot develop in the absence of bacteria in the root canal system. Root canal
infection is characterized by a wide variety of combinations of relatively few anaerobic bacteria, and bacterial synergism plays an important role in maintaining the
infection. Microbial invasion of an apical
granuloma may take place. Non-oral and environmental organisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa are frequently isolated from treatment-resistant cases. Success of endodontic treatment depends on the reduction or elimination of the infecting bacteria. This may predictably be obtained after a thorough chemo-mechanical instrumentation and disinfection of the root canal with
calcium hydroxide. The standardized technique which entails the preparation of a cylindrical apical box with removal of significant amounts of dentin near the root apex predictably gives a clean canal. This technique has provided excellent clinical and radiographic results in well documented follow-up studies.