Abstract:
Endodontic treatments are frequently carried out in daily
clinical practice. The presence or absence of a periapical
radiolucency, assessed using intraoral radiographs, is one
of the criteria used to determine endodontic success. When
such a lesion is present around the apex of a tooth, the
condition is known as chronic apical periodontitis. While
this is common around root treated teeth, it can also be
associated with otherwise healthy teeth. In both instances, it
represents an inflammatory response to bacteria or irritants
in the periapical space, and results in bone loss and areas
of reduced density, which can then form apical granulomas
or cysts. The literature has shown that periapical lesions
can go undetected, due to the two-dimensional limitations
of periapical radiographs. These “hidden” lesions can
compromise the longevity of the tooth. Considering that
apical periodontitis can be far more accurately detected
and diagnosed on cone beam computed tomography, it
has been recommended by several authors that endodontic
treatment outcomes ideally should be evaluated using this
imaging modality, whenever possible.
