The patient reported on in this article is a student in dentistry and his parents are both dentists. They referred their son to a good endodontist, who then referred the case to me. As always, peers are more than welcome in either of my practices, in Rome and London, so when I treated this case, I had three dentists watching me, a future dentist on the chair, placing a great deal of pressure on me.
The 22-year-old male patient had a history of trauma to his maxillary incisors and arrived at my practice with symptoms related to tooth #21. The tooth, opened in an emergency by the patient’s mother, was tender when prodded, with a moderate level of sensitivity on the respective buccal gingiva. Sensitivity tests were negative for the other central incisor (tooth #12 was positive), and a periapical radiograph showed radiolucency in the periapical areas of both of the central incisors. The apices of these teeth were quite wide and the length of teeth appeared to exceed 25 mm.
My treatment plan was as follows: root canal therapy with two apical plugs with a calcium silicate-based bioactive cement. The patient provided his consent for the treatment of the affected tooth and asked to have the other treated in a subsequent visit.
After isolating with a rubber dam, I removed the temporary filling, and then the entire pulp chamber roof with a low-speed round drill. The working length was immediately evaluated using an electronic apex locator and a 31 mm K-type file. The working length was determined to be 28 mm.
As can be seen in the photographs, the canal was actually quite wide, so I decided to only use an irrigating solution and not a shaping instrument. Root canals are usually shaped so that there will be enough space for proper irrigation and a proper shape for obturation. This usually means giving these canals a tapered shape to ensure good control when obturating. With open apices, a conical shape is not needed, and often there is enough space for placing the irrigating solution deep and close to the apex.
Fig. 1: Pre-operative radiograph
Fig. 2: Intraoperative radiograph of apical plug of tooth #21.
Fig. 3: Post-operative radiograph.
Fig.4: EDDY in action.
Fig. 5: Intraoperative radiograph of apical plug of tooth #11 (after 6 months from the first treatment).
Fig. 6: Post-operative radiograph.
Fig. 7: Four months follow-up radiograph.
I decided to use only some syringes containing 5 per cent sodium hypochlorite and EDDY, a sonic tip produced by VDW, for delivery of the cleaning solution and to promote turbulence in the endodontic space and shear stress on the canal walls in order to remove the necrotic tissue faster and more effectively. After a rinse with sodium hypochlorite, the sonic tip was moved to and from the working length of the canal for 30 seconds. This procedure was repeated until the sodium hypochlorite seemed to become ineffective, was clear and had no bubbles. I did not use EDTA, as no debris or smear layer was produced.
I suctioned the sodium hypochlorite, checked the working length with a paper point and then obturated the canal with a of 3 mm in thickness plug of bioactive cement. I then took a radiograph before obturating the rest of the canal with warm gutta-percha. I used a compomer as a temporary filling material.
The symptoms resolved, so I conducted the second treatment only after some months, when the tooth #11 became tender. Tooth #21 had healed. I performed the same procedure and obtained the same outcome (the four-month follow-up radiograph showed healing).
The ultimate reason why root canals fail is bacteria. If our mouths were sterile there would be no decay or infection, and damaged teeth could, in ways, repair themselves. So although we can attribute nearly all root canal failure to the presence of bacteria, I will discuss five common reasons why root canals fail, and why at least four of them are mostly preventable.
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SprintRay introduces intra-oral scanner and compact chairside 3D-printing system
SprintRay’s Nano Series combines NanoPrint for 3D printing, NanoWash for washing and drying, and NanoCure for post-polymerisation in a compact chairside workflow. (All images/video: SprintRay)
WEITERSTADT, Germany: SprintRay, a dental technology company, recently introduced its expanded digital dentistry platform at 3DNext 2026 in Miami Beach in Florida in the US. Its key elements include the Foundation wireless intra-oral scanner and ScanOS, integrated scanning software, as well as the Nano Series compact chairside production system. SprintRay also announced a new restorative resin developed with GC Corp. Together, these developments extend SprintRay’s connected workflow, covering scanning and design to printing and post-processing.
“For years, we connected scanning and printing through third-party integrations, but the experience still required practices to move between systems,” said Dr Amir Mansouri, co-founder and CEO of SprintRay. “ScanOS makes scanning a native part of the SprintRay workflow, and Foundation is the first intra-oral scanner built for it. With the Nano Series, we have designed the print, wash and cure experience around the way chairside dentistry actually works.”
Foundation and ScanOS: Scanning built into the workflow
Foundation is a full-colour intra-oral scanner built for ScanOS, which is integrated into SprintRay’s cloud dashboard. Foundation brings scanning into the same account and interface used for design and production, helping practices to move from digital capture to a finished case without a separate file export or upload step after scanning.
The “Scan” tab sits alongside the SprintRay dashboard’s design and production tools. When scanning is complete, files are available in the cloud for the next workflow step.
Foundation will initially launch in the US, and the first shipments are expected in November. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Foundation is expected to become available in the first quarter of 2027.
SprintRay’s new Foundation wireless intra-oral scanner integrates with ScanOS, the company’s new scanning software, to connect scanning, design and production in a single workflow.
Nano Series: Compact 3D printing for dental practices
More than 20 million dental parts have been produced across the SprintRay ecosystem, providing the company with substantial insight into how clinicians use dental 3D printing. SprintRay’s analysis indicates that more than 80% of chairside print jobs involve a single patient and a single case. While the Pro Series is engineered for throughput and multi-case production, the Nano Series is purpose-built for compact chairside workflows.
NanoPrint, NanoWash and NanoCure form a connected system for printing, washing and post-polymerisation that occupies less than 72 cm of counter space. NanoPrint uses a 385 nm light engine, NanoWash automates washing and drying, and NanoCure completes post-processing. The software features AutoPrint and Job Handoff help connect production steps and carry case information through the workflow.
The Nano Series supports a broad range of clinical applications through SprintRay’s validated materials library. Specific indications and availability vary by market.
“We designed the Nano Series to make chairside production more intuitive and practical for the dental team,” said Dr Mansouri. “It brings the workflow together in a compact footprint while maintaining the standards clinicians expect from SprintRay.”
Nano Series shipments are expected to begin in November in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the EU, subject to applicable regional regulatory requirements and product availability. NanoWash is not part of the Canadian launch offering.
SprintRay’s ScanOS integrates intra-oral scanning into the company’s cloud dashboard, allowing scan files to be accessed directly for subsequent design and production steps.
SprintRay and GC introduced GC GRADIA PREMi, a new hybrid ceramic restorative resin developed for SprintRay’s Midas Digital Press 3D-printing workflow. The collaboration brings GC’s restorative materials expertise to SprintRay’s capsule-based platform, aiming to expand the choice of materials for definitive chairside restorations.
The material will initially be available in the US. Specific clinical indications, performance claims and regional availability are subject to GC’s final approved product labelling and regulatory review.
The partnership reflects SprintRay’s materials strategy of working with established dental materials companies to develop and validate workflows. “Openness matters, but so does validation,” said Dr Mansouri. “Our approach is to work with leading partners to broaden what clinicians can do while maintaining rigorous workflow standards.”
Expanding a proven platform
The products announced at 3DNext build on SprintRay’s established portfolio in chairside dental manufacturing, which includes Midas Digital Press and the Pro Series. Foundation, ScanOS and the Nano Series extend SprintRay’s connected technologies to encompass scanning, design, printing and post-processing.
3DNext is SprintRay’s flagship clinical education event and was held this year under the theme “The Future, In Practice”. The programme brought together clinicians, educators and industry partners to explore how digital dentistry advances translate into clinical workflows. More information can be found at sprintray.com.
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The ultimate reason why root canals fail is bacteria. If our mouths were sterile there would be no decay or infection, and damaged teeth could, in ways, repair themselves. So although we can attribute nearly all root canal failure to the presence of bacteria, I will discuss five common reasons why root canals fail, and why at least four of them are mostly preventable.