Preoperative radiograph

A preoperative radiograph must be taken before every root canal treatment. Usually a radiograph taken for diagnosis can be used as the preoperative film. The preoperative film is taken with a film holder, e.g. Eggens or Endoray to ensure good quality. The paralleling technique instead of bisecting angle technique should be used whenever possible. Sometimes, in multirooted teeth, more than one preoperative radiograph may have to be taken using mesial or distal projection to obtain as much preliminary information about the tooth as possible before starting the treatment.