Allan Deutsch
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

ISUALIZATION is one of the key elements in performing endodontics. Over the last twenty years or so, the development of loupes of up to 4.5 magnification and the surgical operating microscope have advanced the clinical aspect of endodontic treatment immeasurably. When you can see the operating field better you can do a better job faster. You can make better access quicker, (especially if you know the 7 mm rule, which I’ll discuss in the next article), you can find canals faster with less destruction of tooth structure, and you can instrument the canals better when you can see where you are placing the instruments. But it all boils down to how much light is around.
    You may have a very bright operating light, but if you are using a mirror the question becomes how much of that light is being reflected back to you, the operator. A major optical advancement was the development of the rhodium-coated mirror. This increased the amount of reflected light that reached the operator tremendously—so much so that it is now the most popular dental mirror being sold. However, we are always searching for something or some way of doing things better, and we came across another great improvement. Instead of coating the mirror with rhodium, a new technological process allows us to coat the mirror with tantalum pentoxide. The clinical results are remarkable. The image from the tantalum-pentoxide-coated mirror is much brighter than the image from a rhodium-coated mirror (Figure 1).

FIGURE 1: Comparing the images from a traditional rhodium-coated mirror and the tantalum-pentoxide-coated C-Mor mirror.

    You can surely see the fine details of the chamber with the brighter reflection from the C-Mor tantalum-pentoxide-coated mirror (Figure 2). The reality is that with the same light you “C-Mor,” making finding and treating the canals easier. Figure 3 shows a graph of the reflectivity, comparing a mirror coated with rhodium, the Zirc Crystal mirror, and the C-Mor tantalum-pentoxide-coated mirror.
    The C-Mor mirror itself comes as a front surface mirror with a cone socket thread for handle attachment. The mirror design is rounded and flattened so that it can be comfortably used for retraction of lip or cheek (Figure 4).
    All in all, this is one of the easiest and quickest ways to improve your endodontic treatment at little additional expense. I almost will not treat a patient if I do not have my C-Mor mirror.