CE Hours: 0.75

Description: Endodontists aim for excellence in root canal treatment, including filling and sealing the root canal system. However, a well-fitted definitive restoration is equally critical for long-term success, ideally without leakage occurring for years. Often endodontists may only place a shallow composite layer into the canal orifices and the pulp floor, with the remainder of the restoration carried out by a general dentist. Would the long-term success increase if endodontists placed the entire adhesive build-up immediately after completion of the endodontic treatment? Studies have shown that posts are only needed if a build-up lacks enough retention. Also, many novel build-up materials, including light-curing, self-curing, or dual-curing composites, are continuously becoming available. The lecture will give a detailed protocol on how to build-up of a tooth with light-curing glass-fiber-flow after endodontic treatment supported by clinical cases. The workflow and the composite selection will critically discussed referring to the literature.

Learning Objectives:  

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of strictly adhesive buildups versus incorporating a post.
• Review the postendo buildup material and the limitations of light curing composite after endodontic treatment.
• Execute a step by step workflow of postendodontic adhesive buildup with light curing composite.

CE Hours: 0.75

Description: Many teeth that Endodontists encounter have challenging “Endo-restorative-perio” issues.   These include teeth with deep sub-gingival caries, cracks, resorptions, and coronal micro-leakage. Many clinical "tips and tricks" will be discussed in this presentation in order to successfully and predictably save these teeth long-term. Deep margin elevation for subgingival carious teeth, crack dissection, non-surgical resorption repair and many other techniques will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:  

• Describe  “deep margin elevation" technique and its role in reducing the need for surgical crown lengthening.
• Discuss techniques to treat resorption defects successfully.
• Perform preendo and postendo buildup with adhesive techniques that reduce the need for post placement.

CE Hours: 1.5

Description: “Do we hold it or fold it?”  This is the decision that clinicians make almost on a daily basis and is usually influenced from one’s background, beliefs, and opinion.  Some erroneously believe that all teeth can and should be saved.  Whereas others conversely think that questionable teeth should always be removed and replaced with an implant.  In this lecture, we will explore criteria that help us understand the long term prognosis of teeth and implants, why one would want to choose to save or extract a tooth, and the complications of each modality.  

Learning Objectives:  

• Describe the rationale behind when to save a tooth or replace it with an implant.
• List the complications in compromised implants and compromised teeth.
• Be able to formulate a working clinical philosophy on the restoration of teeth or their removal with replacements with dental implants.  

CE Hours: 1.0

Description: Vital pulp therapy offers a promising approach to significantly prolong the lifespan of a tooth. Over the past decade, the evidence and outcomes associated with vital pulp treatment have evolved substantially. In 2021, the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) released a new position paper on this topic, providing a foundation for updated practices. This presentation will build on that foundation to highlight key aspects of vital pulp therapy, with a primary focus on managing teeth with carious exposures and symptoms of irreversible pulpitis. Through case-based analysis, it will explore treatment options grounded in evidence-based protocols. Additionally, the presentation will address common challenges to implementation, such as coding, scheduling, and material selection.

Learning Objectives:  

• Identify appropriate teeth for various treatment options and understand the expected outcomes for each approach.
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the essential steps involved in performing vital pulp therapy.
• Evaluate the key prognostic factors that influence the success of vital pulp treatment.

CE Hours: 1.5

Description: The restoration of endodontic access cavity and subsequent build-up is a task which would historically be granted to referring general dentist or restorative dentist. Endodontists would have traditionally more surgical background with limited restorative skills. Nevertheless with the onset of adhesive protocols and techniques it is far more advantageous for the endodontist to be able to seal and rebuild the tooth core immediately after any procedure inside or near pulpal cavity - may it be RCT, NS-RCRT or vital pulp therapy. The presentation will guide through current possibilities to securely close and restore any core defect. Due to specific nature of the endodontic access cavity, great care must be paid to dentin adhesion and resin composite shrinkage issue. Outcome of such action will result in immediate seal of the root canal system and steady stress distribution within the remaining hard dental tissues.

Learning Objectives:  

• Identify clinically relevant factors of adhesive postendodontic treatment
• Indicate the need to use a fiberpost or other form of resin composite during adhesive postendodontic treatment
• Describe in detail the single session procedure steps of adhesive buildup.

CE Hours: 1.0

Description: Crown fractures, and cusp fractures in particular, are relatively common findings in clinical practice. Treatment depends on the nature of the fracture location, severity, depth and whether the pulp is exposed. The majority of crown fractures do not require extraction, but do require clinical management. One particular challenge is a deep subgingival fracture involving maxillary teeth. Cuspidization is a technique that provides a conservative and non-invasive approach to manage deep cuspal fractures in the maxillary arch. This technique also presents an important biologic phenomenon (periodontal reattachment) that makes this approach possible. The result is a non-invasive, predictable treatment that meets our patient’s esthetic demands and can be implemented in everyday clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:  

• Diagnose different types of crown fractures.
• Describe how to conservatively manage cusp fractures.
• Recognize periodontal soft tissue re-attachment.

CE Hours: 1.5

Description: I truly believe that the future of core buildups of endodontically treated teeth lies in the meticulous application of resin adhesive technologies via the hands of endodontists. As endodontists, we face the fact that a certain percentage of the teeth that we treat have a sharp decrease in survival rate due to poor restorative technique following the endodontic treatment. While it is quite unlikely that any endodontic specialist would actually fabricate final restorations for their patients, it would be beneficial for the patient that the remaining tooth structure be completely restored with adhesive resins before the patient leaves our office. There is no better moment to perform the buildup on a case than directly after completing endodontic treatment. The safe period for the final restoration of the tooth would then be extended for weeks or even months. Such an approach would be beneficial to all the parties: the endodontist, the patient and the referring dentist. Current clinical protocol for resin adhesive technology, post removals and extensive retrospective data will be presented in this lecture.

Learning Objectives:  

• Identify the benefits of immediate endorestoration of endodontically treated tooth.
• Describe various clinical defects of non-vital teeth and its endorestorative solutions.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of secure endorestoration and its crucial aspects.

CE Hours: 1.5

Description: Root canal treated teeth (RCTT) represent a challenge for the dentists. Besides the difficulty concerning complex root canal anatomy and endo treatment by itself, dentist need to consider many other aspects for tooth good long term outcome. 

The first of the most important aspects is a structural risk which can be especially important in case of tooth subgingival deficiencies. The second one is functional risk that needs to be estimated in each individual case. Depending on: the structural deficiency, the type of the tooth (anterior, premolar or molar) and the functional risk, it is important to choose the suitable restoration. For many years the prosthetic crown represented the most chosen option. At the beginning of XXI century, more conservative methods, like onlays or veneers, became more and more popular. Today, however, dentists received the new generation materials and through continuous training they can shape their skills adequately, in order to perform direct composite restorations even in case of RCTT. During the lecture the practical aspects of RCCT restorations will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:  

• List the esthetic problems connected to Endodontically Treated Teeth (ETT) and when the internal bleaching should be performed before the final restoration
• Explain the structural and functional problems connected to ETT
• List the indications for direct vs indirect restorations in case of ETT

CE Hours: 0.75

Description: For over a century, internal bleaching has been a constantly evolving chemical experiment to conservatively whiten teeth discolored by trauma, dental infection, or prior treatment. As endodontists, “microbleaching” procedures can be invaluable to referring dentists and patients as a safer and more conservative option to improve esthetics and overall patient care. The term “microbleaching” is proposed as a more accurate representation of microscope-enhanced internal bleaching that clearly differentiates this procedure from traditional internal bleaching done by restorative dentists. From scores of clinical cases, this presentation will provide comprehensive details of the good, bad, and ugly outcomes of this procedure. At the end of this presentation, attendees should be familiar with evidenced-based and current internal microbleaching protocols, documentation, and potential limitations. Incorporating microbleaching into endodontic practice will undoubtedly be productive, rewarding, and help build our reputations within the community of esthetically-driven restorative dentists.

Learning Objectives:  

• Explain internal bleaching materials and methods from the endodontic literature
• Describe the limitations of internal bleaching, including complications and unfavorable outcomes
• Explain current microbleaching protocols

CE Hours: 2.0

Description: Regenerative endodontics represents a paradigm shift in endodontics that has the primary goal of preservation or reestablishment of homeostatic physiological pulp functions. An inflamed dental pulp has been thought to be incapable of healing. This dogma is even reflected in the diagnostic term: “irreversible pulpitis”. Also, pulp necrosis has been a condition that required root canal spaces to be filled with inert materials to prevent growth of microorganisms. Unfortunately, obturation also prevents the growth of patients own living tissues that could bring back important physiological functions lost due to partial or total pulp necrosis. Advancements in biological understanding, techniques and materials have made regenerative endodontic procedures (vital pulp therapies and revitalization) alternatives to teeth requiring non-surgical endodontic treatment. In this lecture, the application of regenerative endodontic approaches will be discussed in light of real clinical scenarios, presenting the advantages and disadvantages of these procedures and their possible pitfalls while contrasting with what is well-known in more “traditional” non-surgical endodontic therapies.

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify the prognostic factors for pulp revitalization and pulpotomies
• Understand the expected outcomes of pulp revitalization and vital pulp therapies
• List the most common pitfalls with revitalization and pulpotomies and how to avoid them