Paul Abbott | The University of Western Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Paul Abbott

International Endodontic Journal, 2017

iranian endodontic journal, 2019

Introduction: Apex locators are important devices that can be used to determine working length du... more Introduction: Apex locators are important devices that can be used to determine working length during root canal treatment. However, it is not known whether electronic devices with various wave length frequencies influence the accuracy of apex locators. The aim of this study was to determine whether a cordless phone set, MP4 player, FM radio, asymmetric digital subscriber line ( ADSL), or a mobile phone could influence the accuracy of working length determination by the Dentaport ZX apex locator. Methods and Materials: In this study, twenty-four sound intact single-rooted extracted human teeth were used. After determining the root canal length with a file and a microscope, the canals were measured with three separate Dentaport ZX apex locators while one of the test devices (ADSL, MP4, FM radio, mobile phone, and cordless phone) was used at a distance of 50 cm from the apex locator. Bland–Altman plots was used for reliability and consistency. Results: Except for the FM radio, all oth...

Endodontic Advances and Evidence‐Based Clinical Guidelines

Annals of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, Oct 1, 2000

The ultimate aim of endodontic treatment is to encourage the healing of apical periodontitis, or ... more The ultimate aim of endodontic treatment is to encourage the healing of apical periodontitis, or to prevent it from occurring if it was not present prior to treatment. Apical periodontitis is a general term used to describe an inflammatory response to irritation caused by the contents of a root canal system and it has several distinct forms. The most common is a granuloma but this can develop into other disease entities such as an abscess, a periapical pocket cyst or a true cyst, all of which present as radiolucencies. However, periapical radiolucencies may also be caused by extra-radicular infections, foreign body reactions and periapical scars, or they may be due to other tumours and cysts that have not originated from pulp disease. Practitioners must recognize and understand the different pathological entities and the dynamic interactions that occur in the periapical tissues in order to correctly diagnose and treat these conditions.

Contemporary Oral Medicine, 2019

Journal of Dental Education, 2012

The aim of this study was to determine a group of Spanish dental students' knowledge of a... more The aim of this study was to determine a group of Spanish dental students' knowledge of and attitudes toward anticoagulated patients and clinical practice and to assess the need for additional education in this area. A survey with sections on demographics and knowledge of general coagulation, anticoagulation treatment, clinical practice, local hemostatic measures, and antibiotic prophylaxis was distributed to students before and after a one-day course on oral anticoagulation. The response rate was 67.1 percent (n=96). Of the respondents, 78.1 percent (seventy-five) were women. The students who benefited most from the course were third-year students since they had the lowest level of knowledge at the beginning of the course (p>0.05). Fifth-year students and postgraduates had a good initial level of knowledge (87 percent). This study identified a lack of knowledge among this group of Spanish dental students prior to the course, but participating in the course led to considerable improvement.

Australian Endodontic Journal, 2020

International Endodontic Journal, 2015

International Endodontic Journal, 2022

High quality systematic reviews in the field of Dentistry provide the most definitive overarching... more High quality systematic reviews in the field of Dentistry provide the most definitive overarching evidence for clinicians, guideline developers and healthcare policy makers to judge the foreseeable risks, anticipated benefits, and potential harms of dental treatment. In the process of carrying out a systematic review, it is essential that authors appraise the methodological quality of the primary studies they include, because studies which follow poor methodology will have a potentially serious negative impact on the overall strength of the evidence and the recommendations that can be drawn. In Endodontology, systematic reviews of laboratory studies have used quality assessment criteria developed subjectively by the individual authors as there are no comprehensive, well-structured, and universally accepted criteria that can be used objectively and universally to individual studies included in reviews. Unfortunately, these subjective criteria are likely to be inaccurately-defined, unreliably-applied, inadequately-analysed, unreasonably-biased, defective, and non-repeatable. The aim of the present paper is to outline the process to be followed in the development of comprehensive methodological quality assessment criteria to be used when evaluating laboratory studies that should be included in systematic reviews within Endodontology. The development of new methodological quality assessment criteria for appraising the laboratory-based studies included in systematic reviews within Endodontology will follow a three-stage process. First, a steering committee will be formed by the project leaders to develop a preliminary list of assessment criteria by modifying and adapting those already available, but with the addition of several new items relevant for Endodontology. The initial draft assessment criteria will be reviewed and refined by a Delphi Group (n=40) for their relevance and inclusion using a nine-point Likert scale. Second, the agreed items will then be discussed in an online or face-to-face meeting by a group of experts (n=10) to further refine the assessment criteria. Third, based on the feedback received from the online/face-to-face meeting, the steering committee will revise the quality assessment criteria and subsequently a group of authors will be selected to pilot the new system. Based on the feedback collected, the criteria may be revised further before being approved by the steering committee. The assessment criteria will be published in relevant journals, presented at national and international congresses/meetings, and will be freely available on a dedicated website. The steering committee will update the assessment criteria periodically based on feedback received from end-users.

International Endodontic Journal, 2021

Endodontic emergencies are common in both general dental practices and specialist Endodontic prac... more Endodontic emergencies are common in both general dental practices and specialist Endodontic practices. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of endodontic emergencies. Endodontic emergencies can be a result of many different conditions of the pulp, root canal and periradicular tissues. They may occur before endodontic treatment has been started, between appointments when treatment is being performed over multiple visits, or after endodontic treatment has been completed. In the latter situation, the emergency may be very soon after the treatment or it may occur many years later, in which case it is usually a new disease process as a result of the root canal system becoming infected. An emergency can be a stressful situation for both the patient and the dentist (or endodontist) as it is usually an unexpected event. It is incumbent on dental professionals to provide timely assistance to patients who have an emergency, and it is also important to allow sufficient time to manage the situation comprehensively. Management of endodontic emergencies should follow the principles of the 3D's - Diagnosis, Definitive dental treatment and Drugs - and in that sequence. An accurate diagnosis, the first "D", is essential so the appropriate treatment can be provided. Diagnosis requires a thorough understanding of the various conditions that can cause the emergency and this can be helped by having a comprehensive classification of the various conditions. The diagnosis should also direct the clinician to the appropriate definitive dental treatment, the second "D". Root canal treatment will not always be required as some cases can be managed conservatively. Other cases may require root canal re-treatment. The specific details of how the treatment is done can also vary, according to the diagnosis. The final "D" is Drugs - the use of drugs should also be dependent on the diagnosis and the dental treatment. Drugs should only be an adjunct following the treatment. The clinician must also differentiate between inflammation and infection in order to provide the appropriate treatment and to prescribe the appropriate medication for effective pain relief and resolution of other symptoms or signs such as swelling.

The New York state dental journal, 2017

Patients typically associate dental care with pain. Pain has both physiological and psychological... more Patients typically associate dental care with pain. Pain has both physiological and psychological components. Endodontic post-treatment pain continues to be a significant problem facing the dental profession. For patients presenting with preoperative pain, most will continue to experience pain after root canal treatment, with pain levels ranging from mild to severe. The purpose of this paper was to review the symptoms and classification of irreversible pulpitis, including acute and chronic pulpitis, incidence of postoperative pain following treating teeth with irreversible pulpitis, factors influencing postoperative pain, persistent pain after root canal treatment, preventing postoperative pain and pharmacological management of postoperative pain.

International Endodontic Journal, 2008

Clinical Oral Investigations, 2021

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the success rate of retromolar canal (RMC) infiltration ... more OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the success rate of retromolar canal (RMC) infiltration following the failure of inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) injections for the anesthesia of mandibular first molars with acute irreversible pulpitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS An IANB injection was administered for 50 patients with acute irreversible pulpitis. Lip numbness was set as the sign of anesthesia and further evaluated and confirmed with pulp sensibility tests after 10-15 min. Access cavity preparation was commenced unless the patient felt any pain; in this case, an RMC infiltration injection was given. The success rate was determined through the patients' recording of the presence, absence, or reduction of pain severity during access cavity preparation using the Heft-Parker visual analog scale. RESULTS Seven patients (14%) did not experience any pain by pulp sensibility tests and during access cavity preparation after IANB injection. Twenty-five (58.1%) of the remaining 43 patients who had the RMC infiltration injection had reduced pain, and four patients (9.3%) experienced no pain after the RMC infiltration. Fourteen patients (32.5%) experienced no change in pain. Chi-squared test results revealed that the percentage of patients with reduced pain was higher than that of other patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS RMC infiltration, along with IANB, significantly reduced the pain felt by patients and increased the success of the anesthetic technique for root canal treatment of mandibular first molars with acute irreversible pulpitis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The administration of RMC infiltration can enhance the success of the IANB technique for anesthetizing mandibular first molars exhibiting acute irreversible pulpitis.

Dental Traumatology, 2021