AIM To evaluate the effectiveness of haptic virtual reality (VR) simulator training using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) tooth models on minimizing procedural errors in endodontic access preparation. METHODOLOGY Fourth year dental students underwent a pre-training assessment of access cavity preparation on an extracted maxillary molar tooth mounted on a phantom head. Students were then r...

For patients who require removal of anterior teeth due to periodontal problems there are a multitude of treatment considerations. Using the natural tooth as a pontic offers the benefits of being the right size, shape and color. This paper describes the immediate replacement of an anterior tooth using a preimpregnated fiber-reinforced composite with the natural tooth as the pontic. The abutment ...

The hard tissue repository of the human dental pulp takes on numerous configurations and shapes. A thorough knowledge of tooth morphology, careful interpretation of angled radiographs, proper access preparation and a detailed exploration of the interior of the tooth are essential prerequisites for a successful treatment outcome. Magnification and illumination are aids that must be utilized to a...

The ability to predictably bond thin pieces of tooth-colored restorative material to teeth and expect excellent long-term esthetic and functional results has created a new arena in the practice of dentistry — that of elective cosmetic treatment. This is not to say that these procedures “appeared overnight”; they did not. However, over the last 20 or so years, the materials and technologies have...

THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 521 During abutment tooth preparation for fixed partial dentures, the presence of undesirable undercuts, due to clinical complicating factors such as poor visibility and access, frequently is observed.1 The presence of undercuts may hinder the complete seating of the cast restoration, resulting in the need to recontour the prepared tooth and make a new impres...

Whenever the tooth dentin-pulp complex is affected by caries, attrition, erosion, chemicals and abrasion, pulpal response to these injuries can stimulate inflammatory activity. Although the pulp injury caused by these irritants can be important, in many cases the most severe tissue trauma is not a direct result of these environmental or accidental events, instead, it results from the surgical t...