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Dr Gary Cheung graduated from his BDS and MDS in Conservative Dentistry, both from The University of Hong Kong (HKU), before joining his alma mater as a lecturer. Later, he furthered his training in endodontics at the Eastman Dental Institute and got another Master degree in 1991. He co-founded the HK Endodontic Society in 1996, obtained his PhD degree in 2007, and became full professor in 2011. Prof. Cheung served the faculty as Postgraduate Programme Director in Endodontics from 1998 to 2016, and as Associate Dean for 10 years till 2022. He is a founding fellow of the College of Dental Surgeons of HK and has been serving as the Supervisor of Training for the Endodontic specialty. Prof. Cheung has published and lectured extensively both locally and internationally. Currently, he is the Chief-of-Service of the Department of Dental Surgery of the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital.
Unconventional Endodontic Management in the Posterior Region
Endodontic treatment aims to preserve the tooth in the arch by saving the tooth root(s) to support a definitive restoration. A tooth can become hopeless with no prospect of any restoration for the residual tooth structure. Badly broken down teeth are typically found in the posterior part of the mouth as a result of neglected caries. Some are related to impacted third molars that lead to extensive decay of the distal surface of the second molar. For these teeth, is extraction then replacement with implant the best option to restore form and function? What about root canal treatment and extracoronal restoration? Is autotransplantation a viable or, even, the preferred option? This presentation will discuss on what constitute the best management for those badly broken down posterior teeth from the endodontic viewpoint. A brief description of how digital manipulation nowadays may facilitate the clinical procedures will be included.
Learning objectives
- Participants will (i) understand the factors underpinning the treatment plan and appreciate the various options of managing a badly broken down tooth in the lower posterior region
- (ii) understand the benefits of autotransplantation as an option to replace the badly broken down tooth; and
- (iii) be able to describe clinical procedures of autotransplantation of tooth
NiTi Root Canal Instrumentation – Use and Abuse
NiTi instruments have gone through many iterations and modifications to make them what they are now. It was probably one of the few introductions that have drastically changed the clinical practice of non-surgical endodontic treatment, with patients benefitting from an improved clinical success rate by those clinicians using NiTi instruments. Many designs and brands are now available in the market. They are all able to produce smooth and predictable canal shape for the mild to moderately curved root canals, but could potentially cause ledges in severe curvatures for the oblivious operators. This presentation will give an account of the current status of rotary root canal instrumentation, pros and cons of its use, and clinical efficacy, then followed by a meta-analysis of the clinical safety of NiTi instruments for endodontic treatment.
Learning objectives
- Participants will be able to (i) describe the development and advances in the design and metallurgy of NiTi rotary instruments
- (ii) describe the benefits of adopting NiTi instruments for endodontic treatment; and
- (iii) understand the factors that impact on the clinical safety of the NiTi rotary instruments during clinical use