Dynamic Navigation in Endodontics: Guided Access Cavity Preparation by Means of a Miniaturized Navigation System

In the case of teeth with pulp canal calcification (PCC) and apical pathology or pulpitis, root canal treatment can be very challenging. PCC are common sequelae of dental trauma but can also occur with stimuli such as caries, bruxism, or after placing a restoration. In order to access the root canal as minimally invasive as possible in case of a necessary root canal treatment, dynamic navigation has recently been introduced in endodontics in addition to static navigation. The use of a dynamic navigation system (DNS) requires pre-operative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging and a digital surface scan. If necessary, reference markers must be placed on the teeth before the CBCT scan; with some systems, these can also be planned and created digitally afterward. By means of a stereo camera connected to the planning software, the drill can now be coordinated with the help of reference markers and virtual planning. As a result, the position of the drill can be displayed on the monitor in real-time during preparation in different planes. In addition, the spatial displacement, the angular deviation, and the depth position are also displayed separately. The few commercially available DNS mostly consist of relatively large camera-marker-systems. Here, the DNS contains miniaturized components: a low-weight camera (97 g) mounted on the micromotor of the electric handpiece utilizing a manufacturer-specific connecting mechanism and a small marker (10 mm x 15 mm), which can be easily attached to an individually manufactured intraoral tray. For research purposes, a post-operative CBCT scan can be matched with the pre-operative one, and the volume of tooth structure removed can be calculated by the software. This work aims to present the technique of guided access cavity preparation by means of a miniaturized navigation system from imaging to clinical implementation.