PRECISION ENDODONTICS IN THE DIGITAL ERA: SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA FOR DIAGNOSIS, BIOLOGICALLY BASED TREATMENT, AND CLINICAL OUTCOME ASSESSMENT

Background. Contemporary endodontics is developing from a technically oriented model of root canal preparation and obturation toward precision, biologically based, and patient-centred preservation of the natural tooth. The introduction of cone-beam computed tomography, artificial intelligence, guided endodontics, heat-treated nickel–titanium instruments, activated irrigation, calcium silicate-based materials, vital pulp therapy, and regenerative procedures has significantly expanded diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. However, the clinical value of new technologies should be determined not by novelty alone but by their diagnostic validity, biological rationale, reproducibility, safety, and influence on long-term treatment outcomes.