PULP FICTION
Volume 3 | March 2025
The Editor's Cut
Welcome back to another dose of endodontic enlightenment, Pulp Fiction Volume 3 is here.
Here’s what’s inside:
View from the Roof: Richard returns with sharp takes on three recent studies, tackling CBCT usage (or lack thereof), the flawed application of AI in endodontic education, and the ongoing calcium silicate vs calcium hydroxide debate.
The Wolf’s Guide to Finding Canals: Winston Wolf may fix problems, but does he find canals? David lays down the laws that should guide every operator.
Instagram Case Studies: Two new bite-sized breakdowns from David on managing massive lesions with decompression and keeping cracked teeth in the fight.
Internal Resorption Case: Stella Sarafi shares an in-depth case study on the management of internal resorption in a strategic molar.
The CPD Quiz: Because what’s better than proving you actually learned something?
Let’s dive in.
View from the Roof
- Journal Dossier
In August 2022, I fell of my roof at home and ruined a perfectly good body. You would have thought that many months of paralysis from the waist down would be a time for deep inner reflection and a chance to emerge reborn as a wonderful human being. Sadly, that was not the case. I got better and I am still a cynical, miserable bastard.
Here are possibly less-than-glowing reviews of some recent articles in the International Endodontic Journal.
A Survey of CBCT Use Amongst Endodontic Specialists in the UK
Shanon Patel et al. | International Endodontic Journal
I had high hopes for this one. Spoiler: I
shouldn’t have.
The study serves as another reminder that just because something is available doesn’t mean it’s used correctly.
→ Read the Full Review
Evaluation of ChatGPT-4 and ChatGPT-4o as Learning Tools in Endodontics
Esra Arılı Öztürk et al. | International
Endodontic Journall
AI in endodontic education. A brilliant
concept? Or a catastrophic leap into
intellectual laziness?
→ Read the Full Review
Calcium Silicate vs. Calcium Hydroxide: The Never-Ending Debate
Emmanuel Silva et al. | International Endodontic Journal
Ah, another paper desperately
searching for the “scientifc truth.”
Spoiler: It remains elusive.
→ Read the Full Review
The Wolf’s Guide to Finding Canals
Krasner and Rankow cracked the code on pulp chamber anatomy, but let’s face it—some of you are still poking around like it’s a game of Battleships.
David lays down the laws of pulp chamber and canal location in true Winston Wolf style. Follow them, and you’ll locate every canal like a pro. Ignore them, and you’ll be perforating teeth faster than AI can replace you.
Instagram Case Studies by Dr Selouk
Endodontic education meets Instagram-worthy content. David is back with two case studies that’ll make you look twice before doom-scrolling.
Case Study 1: Decompression for a Massive Lesion
A 26-year-old male presents with a pressure sensation, a history of trauma, and a CBCT revealing a giant radiolucency. The weapon of choicec? decompression. The result? The lesion completely resolved, and apical surgery became unnecessary.
Case 2: Managing a Cracked Tooth with Subcrestal Extension
A 45-year-old female with constant throbbing pain and an open crack down the distal wall. Prognosis? Grim. Enter laser-assisted disinfection, bioceramic obturation, and an orthodontic band to hold the structure together.
Internal Resorption Case Study
Internal resorption. A diagnosis that often feels like a slow-motion disaster. In this case, an LR6 with chronic periapical periodontitis and suppuration was rescued through careful treatment planning, CBCT guidance, and a three-dimensional warm vertical compaction technique.
The CPD Quiz
You’ve laughed, you’ve learned (hopefully). Now, it’s time to prove it.
Take our CPD quiz and score 80% or more to earn an hour of verified CPD time. The best part? You get a certificate to prove you didn’t just skim this edition for the jokes.
