I clinical report _ shaping system Maintaining the curves is relatively indigenous to the instruments, as long as they are used with the two following criteria: maintaining patency and used within a short arc of motion—something that the system is designed to deliver. As seen in Figure 12, canals call for wider preparations, be they in the mesio-distal or bucco-lingual plane. The relieved reamers in combination with the Pleezer are able to adapt to these situations as they arise. We have presented a discussion of the advantages that come from a system that doesn’t rely on either rotation or NiTi to deliver stressfree shaping of significantly curved canals. Being capable of successfully treating the cases above, makes our system well designed to handle less radical cases. By stress-free, we mean the impact of the canal anatomy on the integrity of the instruments and the benign impact on the health of the dentist of using a system that is virtually free of breakage. Without question, the incorporation of this shaping system along with our method of obturation has made the practice of endodontics far more enjoyable than I once thought it was destined to be. For those wishing to attend the free 2 to 3 hour workshops, please call us at +1 212 582 8161 to set up a mutually agreeable time. For those who might like to join us on our message board, a site of true collegial respect and collaboration, please go to www.endomailmessageboard.com, create a user name and password and become a member. It is loaded with valuable information._ Fig. 11 Fig. 12 taken to a #30 to the apex. In this situation, Dr Kase shaped to the apex to a #20, 1 mm back to a #25, another 1 mm back to a #30 and then shaped as far as he could go with the 25/.06 without applying excessive apical pressure. Some of the lessons from this case include reading the original X-ray accurately to be aware that roots sometimes make strange bends. This is easy to say in hindsight. Just when you think you have a set of rules to follow, a condition comes up that doesn’t allow for such consistency. In these cases, it is good to know that the shaping and obturation system you are using has the adaptability to handle whatever arises. Figures 8 to 12 give two more cases that demonstrate the use of our system. The first case (Figs. 8–10) again shows the subtle curve that we successfully maintain, and the second case (Figs. 11 & 12) demonstrates the shaping of thicker canals because, as we know, not all canals are round. Some are thin and wide, particularly in the bucco-lingual dimension, and we must be prepared to shape these in such a way as to remove as much debris as possible. _about the author roots Dr Barry Lee Musikant is co-director of dental research at and co-founder of Essential Dental Systems, a dental products manufacturing company located in South Hackensack, USA. The company’s roots stem from the desire for product improvements. Dr Musikant’s lecture schedule has taken him to over 400 international locations. He co-authored over 250 articles in dentistry in various major international and US dental journals. Dr Musikant can be contacted at info@edsdental.com. 16 I roots 4_ 2009