Evaluation of the quality of intraradicular retainers by means of panoramic radiographs.
Paper published in Revista da APCD, under the supervision of USF students Camila Ferrari and Cristine Bovolenta in partnership with professors Luiz Fernando Pinheiro and Valdinéia Tognetti
Intraradicular retainers are used in the prosthetic restoration of endodontically treated teeth, providing greater strength and retention in restorations or crowns. For their fabrication and installation, it is necessary to respect certain technical principles, regarding their dimensions and the remainder of the endodontic treatment maintained after the preparation. To evaluate the quality of treatment under these parameters, the radiographic examination is the most used auxiliary resource, especially the periapical examination. However, the panoramic radiograph, which is a routine examination in offices, could be used for this purpose, provided that parameters are established for it. The aim of this research is to evaluate the quality of retainer treatments and to validate the panoramic radiograph for this purpose, according to pre-established criteria. A total of 514 teeth with intraradicular retainer were evaluated, from 300 digital panoramic radiographs. The results revealed that most retainers were out of specification as to their size, and that panoramic radiography is a valid resource for establishing the quality in treatments using intraradicular retainers.
DESCRIPTORS:Panoramic radiography, intraradicular retainer, dental prosthesis, endodontics
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The determination of a satisfactory prosthetic treatment is fundamental during the dental diagnosis. To this end, panoramic radiographs could be used, provided evaluation criteria are established.
INTRODUCTION
The correct functional and esthetic restoration of an endodontically treated tooth often requires the use of an intraradicular retainer to support a prosthetic piece. These retainers, depending on the indication, can be made of different materials and by various methods, but all follow the same basic mechanical and biological principles of preparation and installation: quantity and quality of the remaining endodontic filling, adequate width and length of the retainer, centralized positioning of the retainer in the root, little or no empty space between the retainer and the remaining filling. These criteria, when satisfactory, are indicators of the quality of prosthetic treatment using an intraradicular retainer. The evaluation of these criteria is only possible through radiographic observation, as they are not possible criteria for clinical evaluation. Moreover, the different materials for making retainers have levels of radiopacity that allow their distinction from dentin tissue, and consequently, their observation and evaluation.
In turn, panoramic radiography, due to its ease of access, is widely used as an initial examination in dental diagnosis and can then be a means indicated for the evaluation of the various aspects that determine the quality of rehabilitation using an intraradicular retainer. To this end, it is necessary to establish and organize radiographic criteria for the evaluation of treatment quality.
The aim of this research was, by means of observation and interpretation of panoramic radiographs, to evaluate the quality of prosthetic treatments using intraradicular retainers in endodontically treated teeth, and thus establish panoramic radiography as a valid exam for this purpose.
