The aim of this study was to assess the shaping ability of the XP Shaper (XPS) file in severely curved canal models under simulated body temperature and compare it with that of the WaveOne Gold (WOG) file. Ninety-six simulated root canals were equally distributed into XPS and WOG systems to be shaped by eight files each. Files were assessed under a stereomicroscope prior to canal shaping to detect deformation if any. The canals were shaped at 35 ± 1°C using the X-Smart Plus motor. Images of the canals were obtained before and after instrumentation using a stereomicroscope to measure the amount of removed resin from both the inner and outer curvature sides at apex (0 mm) and 3 mm and 6 mm from the apex. The shaping time was calculated. The data were statistically analyzed by the independentt-test at 5% significance level. The XPS and WOG systems shaped the canals in 37.0 ± 9.5 and 62.6 ± 11.3 seconds (P<0.05), respectively. At the apex level, the amount of resin removal in both sides did not show a significant difference between the tested groups (P>0.05). At 3 mm and 6 mm levels, the WOG removed more resin than XPS at both sides (P<0.05). In XPS, deformation was observed in four files: one file after the first use, one file after the fourth use, and two files after the sixth use. In WOG, two files were deformed: one file after the fifth use and one file after the sixth use. One XPS file was fractured after the sixth use. In short, XPS and WOG files can be used in shaping severely curved canals as they showed the ability to maintain the original shape with minimal transportation. Both file systems showed signs of deformation after use with a lower number of deformed files observed in WOG throughout the experiment.

Background. Several endodontic difficulty assessment forms are available to help dental students and general dentists estimate the difficulty of the case before initiating the endodontic treatment. Objectives. This study aimed to assess if the American Association of Endodontics (AAE) case difficulty assessment form affects the dental student’s perception of the difficulty encountered while performing root canal treatment (RCT). Materials and Methods. This was a cross‐sectional online survey. After obtaining IRB approval, an electronic questionnaire was sent to dental students enrolled in the 4th and 5th years at King Saud University (KSU) and King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU‐HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was divided into informed consent, demographic data, the use of the AAE case assessment form, RCT steps, diagnosis, local anesthesia administration, tooth isolation, and endodontic procedure. Results. A total of 195 dental students participated in the study. There were 101 (52%) females, and 139 (71%) were from KSAU‐HS. A positive association was found between students who used the AAE assessment form and who did not with their ability to reach the correct diagnosis (p = 0.005), tooth isolation (p = 0.03), and endodontic procedure difficulty score (p = 0.018). Conclusion. The use of the AAE form by dental students enabled them to differentiate between complicated and uncomplicated cases, thus lowering the difficulty encountered during RCT.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the 20 most-cited articles on maxillary sinusitis in relation to endodontics using the Web of Science database. Methods: Bibliometric analysis was performed using Excel version-16, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science database on December 29, 2025 using the selected search terms (Sinusitis OR “Maxillary sinusitis” OR “Root canal treatment” OR “Root canal therapy” OR Endodontics OR odontogenic). Six leading journals in endodontics, otolaryngology, and related fields were selected to capture relevant interdisciplinary research. Records were sorted by citation count, and the 20 most-cited and relevant articles were included. The analysis covered publication trends, citations, top countries, institutions, authors, and keywords. Results: A total of 112 authors from 31 institutions contributed to these studies. The United States produced the highest number of publications, followed by Italy and Brazil. At the institutional level, the University of Milan, Italy, contributed the most articles, followed by Henry Ford Health System, United States. International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology and Journal of Endodontics contributed the highest number of articles, with nine articles each. Keyword analysis revealed that “maxillary sinusitis” and “sinusitis” were the most frequently used terms, indicating a strong focus on sinus-related conditions. Conclusion: Research on maxillary sinusitis and root canal treatments has grown steadily over the past 25 years. Future research should focus on a higher level of evidence and incorporate improved collaboration between dental and medical specialists, as most studies were case reports.