Shaping and Cleaning the Root Canal System

The book consists of seven chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 deal with the goals of canal shaping through the evolution of the principles of biomechanical reaming. Chapter 3 recounts the important evolution of nickel-titanium instruments. Chapters 4-5-6 cover the various stages of canal preparation, while Chapter 7 deals with the topic of cleaning the canal system. The latter topic is particularly important since mechanical cleaning alone is currently unable to decontaminate the endodontic system, a much more complex system when analysed three-dimensionally, unreachable by contact with instruments even in some areas of the main canal, more likely to be reached through a chemical decontamination action by specific irrigation solutions. Therefore, based on the current state of the art and current technological progress, the interaction between mechanical procedure and chemical/physical procedure provides the best results in terms of decontamination of the root canal system.

Gianluca Plotino, DDS, PhD Private practice, Rome Nicola Maria Grande, DDS, PhD Contract professor in Endodontics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome; Contract professor in Endodontics, "Magna Graecia’’ University of Catanzaro; Private practice, Rome