Aim: The objective of this study was to compare the discoloration of endodontically treated maxillary anterior teeth with traditional and conservative access cavity preparations. Methods: this study was an in vitro study, sixty intact central and lateral maxillary incisors were randomly divided into two groups: (A) conventional access cavity and (B) conservative access cavity. Access cavities were prepared, followed by root canal treatment and restoration. Spectrophotometer measurements were taken to assess tooth discoloration 2 and 3 months after the final sealer setting. T -test was used to analyze and compare mean color change values (∆E) between the two groups. Results: The results showed a significant difference in discoloration between the two groups at the time interval between 2 and 3 months after the sealer’s final setting. The conservative access cavity exhibited significantly higher average color change values (∆E = 19.20) compared to the traditional access cavity (∆E = 2.97) ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the clinically unacceptable discoloration observed in the conservative access cavity and the clinically acceptable discoloration in the conventional access cavity at 3 months' follow-up, it can be concluded that the conservative access cavity is not a suitable alternative when considering tooth discoloration. This study highlights the importance of selecting the appropriate access cavity preparation technique to minimize esthetic concerns in endodontically treated anterior teeth.
Ebrahimi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.