Clinical Evaluation of Root End Resection Bevel in Periapical Surgery

Root end resections play an important role in the success of periapical surgery. Beveling of the root end resections can vary significantly depending on the surgical technique, the root and canal morphology.

The intention of this article was to clinically assess the root resections bevels and to estimate their relation to applied periapical surgeries.

A prospective clinical study consisted of sixty periapical surgeries performed on teeth with chronic periapical lesions. Thirty periapical surgeries were performed in a conventional manner, while thirty were contemporary ultrasonic surgeries. Following the completion of strictly planned and performed intraoperative procedures, the resection bevels were assessed. To obtain the real bevel angles a compass was used. Root resections were significantly less beveled in all teeth operated with contemporary ultrasonic surgery, with mean values between 2.1° to 7.8°. The number of roots and their dilacerations didn’t influence the root resection bevel. For comparison, root resections were significantly beveled in all conventionally operated teeth, with mean values of 46°. Due to the technical limitations of the conventional periapical surgery, mandibular premolars were exclusively operated with ultrasonic periapical surgery, with mean values of resection bevel not exceeding 20.7°. Significantly lesser resection bevel associated with ultrasonic periapical surgery contributes to root preservation and favorable surgical outcome.