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15Endo TribuneJuly 19-25, 2010United Kingdom Edition L ooking inside a tooth and you will see that pulpal space is not a simple hol- low space and root canals are not straight tubules, but rather com- plicated anatomical structures with intricate communications and ramifications. The thing I love the most about endodontics is that it is a great game of imagination. Most often, the only images we have are radiographs – CBCT imag- es are still not widely available ¬– so we have two-dimensional images of complex three-dimen- sional objects. It is advised to take at least two radiographs from dif- ferent angles before any root ca- nal treatment is carried out, but you will still be only getting mere hints of the configuration of pul- pal space. The rest is your imagi- nation based on knowledge and experience. Having mentioned my love of endodontics, I enrolled in a master’s degree at Warwick Uni- versity – after all, what is life without a master degree? This is a new programme only in its first year, with strong European roots. Along with the first assign- ment, we have been taught how to clear teeth according to profes- sor Castellucci’s protocol. That is, how to make natural extracted teeth transparent after staining the pulpal space with India ink or methylene blue. Not only have we been taught to clear the teeth, we have also benefited from a photography lessons from a pro- fessional photographer, which really boosted my photography skills. The results are the photos with this article. Endodontic failures Missed anatomy is the main cause of endodontic failure. Of- ten, the entire root canal or a significant part of it is not instru- mented, disinfected and filled, thus enabling microbes to thrive in the endodontic space and consequently form an abscess of the periapical area leading to endodontic failure. A canal may be left untreated because the dentist fails to recognise its presence. Understanding that the root-canal system is complex is essential. One point that is perhaps worth noting is the upper first molar, the tooth with the most an- What’s inside a tooth A tooth, you would think, is a pretty simple structure. But take a look inside and you will be amazed at what you find, says Diana Dumitriu Lower lateral incisor, mesial view 1 Upper first molar , mesial view 1 page 16DTà