By :
- Mahmoud Torabinejad, DMD, MSD, PhD
- Richard E. Walton, DMD, MS
- Ashraf F. Fouad, BDS, DDS, M
Preface
The primary objective of dentists has always been to relieve dental pain and prevent tooth loss. Despite this effort, many teeth develop caries, suffer traumatic injury, or are impacted by other diseases and disorders, often requiring endodontic care. Endodontics is a discipline of dentistry that deals with the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human dental pulp and periapical tissues, as well as the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries related to these tissues. Its scope is wide and includes diagnosis and treatment of pain of pulpal and/or periapical origin, vital pulp therapy, regenerative endodontic procedures, nonsurgical root canal treatment, retreatment of unsuccessful treatment, internal bleaching, and endodontic surgery. Ultimately, the primary goal in endodontics is to preserve the natural dentition. Root canal treatment is a well-tested procedure that has provided pain relief and has restored function and esthetics to patients. Millions of patients expect preservation of their natural dentition; if root canal treatment is necessary, they should be aware that the procedure is safe and has a high success rate if properly performed. Because there are not enough
As with other dental specialties, the practice of endodontics requires two inseparable components: art and science. The art consists of executing technical procedures during root canal treatment. The science includes the basic and clinical sciences related to biological and pathological conditions that guide the art of endodontics through the principles and methods of evidence-based treatment. Evidence-based treatment integrates the best clinical evidence with the practitioner’s clinical expertise and the patient’s treatment needs and preferences. A principal objective of our textbook is to incorporate evidence-based information when available and when appropriate.
Because there are not enough endodontists to manage the endodontic needs of the public, general dentists must assist endodontists to preserve natural dentition. Their responsibility is to diagnose pulpal and periapical diseases and to perform noncomplicated root canal treatments. In fact, most of the endodontic procedures are performed by generalists. Our textbook, written specifically for dental students and general dentists, contains the information necessary for those who would like to incorporate endodontics in their practice. This includes diagnosis and treatment planning as well as management of pulpal and periapical diseases. In addition, the general dentist must be able to determine the case complexity and whether she or he can perform the necessary treatment or if referral is the better option.
Although many advances have been made in endodontics in the past decade, the main objectives of root canal therapy continue to be the removal of diseased tissue, the elimination of microorganisms, and the prevention of recontamination after treatment. This new edition of Endodontics: Principles and Practice has been systematically organized to simulate the order of procedures performed in a clinical setting. It contains information regarding normal structures, etiology of disease, diagnosis and treatment planning, local anesthesia, emergency treatment, root canal instruments, access preparations, cleaning and shaping, obturation, and temporization. In addition, it covers etiology, prevention, and treatment of accidental procedural errors, as well as treatment of inadequate root canal–treated teeth using nonsurgical and surgical approaches. A chapter is dedicated to the endodontic outcomes that provide guidelines regarding the assessment of outcomes of these procedures. In this edition we’ve included information on pulp and periapical stem cells, regenerative endodontic procedures, novel analyses of endodontic microflora, the use of cone beam CT in endodontics, the interaction of general dentists and endodontists, and systemic considerations in endodontics. Furthermore, a chapter discusses single tooth implant.
The other distinctive features of the new edition are (1) updated relevant and recent references, (2) information regarding new scientific and technological advances in the field of endodontics, (3) information regarding single tooth implant, and (4) a revised contents with new authors. The appendix provides colorized illustrations that depict the size, shape, and location of the pulp space within each tooth. There is also a website with video clips for selected procedures and an interactive version of the self- ssessment questions. These features provide the reader with a textbook that is concise, current, and easy to follow in an interactive manner.
This textbook is not intended to include all background information on the art and science of endodontics. At the same time, it is not designed to be a “cookbook” or a preclinical laboratory technique manual. We have tried to provide the reader with the basic information to perform root canal treatment and to give the reader background knowledge in related areas. This textbook should be used as a building block for understanding the etiology and treatment of teeth with pulpal and periapical diseases; then the reader can expand her or his endodontic experiences with more challenging cases. Providing the best quality of care is the guiding light for treatment planning and performing appropriate treatment.
We thank the contributing authors for sharing their materials and experiences with our readers and with us. Their contributions improve the quality of life for millions of patients. We also express our appreciation to the editorial staff of Elsevier, whose collaboration and dedication made this project possible and Mohammad Torabinejad for editing and proofreading the manuscripts. In addition, we acknowledge our colleagues and students who provided cases and gave us constructive suggestions to improve the quality of our textbook. Because much of their material is incorporated into the new edition, we also would like to acknowledge the contributors to the fourth edition: Leif K. Bakland, Marie Therese Flores, Gerald N. Glickman, Gary R. Hartwell, Karl Keiser, Keith V. Krell, Ronald R. Lemon, Neville J. McDonald, Mary Rafter, Isabela N. Rôças, Asgeir Sigurdsson, James H.S. Simon, Henry O. Trowbridge, and Frank J. Vertucci.
