Techniques could streamline root canal treatment
In a study published in the Journal of Endodontics, the researchers employed a self-designed, reusable 3D-printed model to simulate the clinical characteristics of pulp canal calcification and explore the efficacy of four access preparation methods — among which were freehand, static navigation, dynamic navigation and robot-assisted navigation. They then compared offset angle, operation time and tooth tissue loss among both specialists and inexperienced operators performing the preparation methods in maxillary and mandibular models, respectively.
The researchers found that the robot-assisted navigation method demonstrated the best angular deviation, operation time and tooth substance loss, whereas the freehand method had the poorest performance measures. Further, the robot-assisted navigation method compensated for the challenging mandibular anatomy and improved the accuracy between maxillary and mandibular preparations.
The results of the study suggested that the robot-assisted method could provide a more precise, minimally invasive and standardized pulp canal calcification access preparation strategy in clinical settings.
Read more: Journal of Endodontics
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