Recognition and prevention of failures in clinical dentistry. Endodontics.

There are many factors that can contribute to endodontic failure, but the major factor that will be associated with almost every failure is the presence of bacteria. Treatment procedures must include techniques that will remove the bacteria that are already present and then prevent further bacterial ingress. Failures can usually be recognized by thorough clinical and radiographic examinations. They can be prevented by careful case selection and by following the accepted standard endodontic procedures and not deviating from these for the sake of expediency. This paper provides an overview of the factors affecting endodontic success and discusses methods used to recognize and prevent failures.