American Endodontic Society

The American Endodontic Society endorses and teaches a technique of root canal therapy that can be performed by a general dentist.


© American Endodontic Society, Inc. 
All Rights Reserved
No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.
                                                                                                                                           

OUR MISSION

To provide educational and scientific information on simplified endodontic procedures; to protect and preserve the right of the general dentist to perform those procedures for which they are qualified by education and experience.
                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     


AES FELLOW
or if you are a Fellow, to become an
AES MASTER
Enhance your Practice Potential, Image, and Prestige!
For an application and requirements, please write, FAX, or E-mail
The American Endodontic Society encourages members to become an 

AES FELLOW

or if you are a Fellow, to become an

AES MASTER

Enhance your Practice Potential, Image, and Prestige!

FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THESE PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS, CLICK  ON THE APPROPRIATE TAB IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER OF THIS PAGE.
                                                                                                                                      
FORMALDEHYDE IN DENTISTRY
The Irrational Fear of a  Human Endogenous Substance by
Pasquale Durino, DDS

ABSTRACT

The world has seen many problems with man-made chemicals such as thalidomide, PCB’s, DDT etc. In many people, this has sparked a fear of all chemicals, including many that are naturally occurring. Members of the scientific community are not immune to these fears. Formaldehyde in dentistry is a classic example of the irra- tional fear, in the scientific community, of a substance that is present in every cell in the human body. There is significant controversy among formaldehyde researchers about the connection of formaldehyde to cancer in humans but one common theme seen in their research is that formaldehyde is a concern only in high concentrations. A review of the literature and a knowledge-based approach should allay the fear of the use of this substance in quantities that are used in dentistry. Formaldehyde is an essential part of human cellular function. The dental community should be reminded that the investigation of naturally occurring substances, with which we have evolved over thousands of years, is very different than that of man-made chemicals. It is also essential to remember that any discussion on the toxicity of a substance must be related to dosage.


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 Oral Health
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Formaldehyde in Dentistry
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Angelo Sargenti: Madman or Messiah?

An Endodontist Reveals Myths
and Half Truths Behind The Sargenti Controversy by Dr. Patrick Wahl

HALF-TRUTH: N2 is toxic.


WHOLE TRUTH: All sealers are toxic,1 but a basic tenet of toxicology is that “the dose makes the poison.” Indeed, the recognized scientific phenomenon of “hormesis” means that hazardous chemicals at low doses are not just harmless but can even be beneficial. Nutrients like salt and vitamin D are poisons when used in large concentrations, yet they are essential for life. Fluoride is also a potent poison in large concentrations. Coumadin is a well-known blood thinner that many de- pend upon to live; it is also available in higher concen- trations as rat poison.


AAE has sensationally compared N2 to “embalming fluid.”2 N2 is 4.5% formaldehyde; embalming fluid is 40%. Formocresol, the pulpotomy agent and intracanal medicament advocated in my endodontic training at the University of Pennsylvania, is 19% formaldehyde. Even Dr. Larz Spangberg, a critic of N2, has stated that the amount of formaldehyde in a root canal is negligible from a toxicological point of view and that the exposure is “insignificant.”3



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Dr. Wahl's Article
                                                                                                                                          
AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON SARGENTI AND N2 CAN BE SEEN HERE:
                                                                                                                                          


N2 Now The Preferred Root Canal Treatment 

in Sweden


Four Swedish dentists, Drs. Niels Norsell, B. Cederbloom and Stefen and Bengt Nordstrom, have succeeded in having the Swedish Board of Welfare reverse their ban on the use of N2 Root Canal Sealer in Sweden.

For years the endodontic specialists have used their influence in only allowing conventional root canal sealers to be used in Sweden.  


The Swedish Board of Welfare have now enough evidence to show that conventional root canal has high failure rates, but has cost the Board of Welfare large sums of money to pay for these root canal treatments, which have resulted in wasted money and large numbers of tooth extractions.  


Evidence has now been accepted, that using N2 treatments is more successful in root canal treatments, but would have resulted in a higher success rate, less health risks and at less cost to the Board.

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Root Canal Treatment for Everybody

In most European countries, the general practitioner in the daily routine has to deal with a root canal problem. Treatment is time-consuming and difficult. Out of this reason, a special dentist group has developed in certain high-class and rich markets, that is the endodontists specialized in treating the root canals with special knowledge and good success. The only problems are the high price, which is needed, and the fact that social security ensured people cannot pay for this treatment. For this reason, general practitioners in most European markets use a fast and easy treatment by quick cleaning of the canal followed by filling with a spiral drill (lenrulo) with a root canal cement, or better called root canal sealer, by the name of N2. N2 contains a very low rate of formalaldehyde, not more than you'd find in a large glass of milk. Unluckily, over the years decisions were made in certain markets to ban this product and take the possibility away from general practitioners to treat the public with this procedure having been used throughout Europe for over 50 years.

This did not matter to people who are able to pay for the endodontist treatment. The fast N2 technique used by 10,000 dentists was excluded in certain markets, e.g. in Sweden, partially in Poland and possibly in other markets. Now the decisive government agencies have recognized this problem and have officially reinstated the N2 technique with an official announcement in the Swedish Dental Journal.

We think that with this move the state will save a lot of expenses because instead of extracting the root canal infected tooth, the general practitioner will start trying to save this tooth to avoid any high-price crown and bridge work in the future.

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LAST UPDATE:   March 9, 2019
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