During the past 20 years, end­ odontics has become firmly estab­lished as a dental specialty with a distinct biological and clinical basis . As a preventive field, endodontics has improved the dental and general health of the public, and has con­ tributed to the progress and ad­ vancement of periodontics, prosth­ odontics and restorative dentistry by treatment of teeth that would have been lost without it.