Why 'close enough' is the most expensive phrase in endodontics — and in everything else.
Working length is a number, but it stands for something larger: the refusal to stop short.
In a canal, "close enough" leaves bacteria a home and the tooth a slow failure. The same instinct — finishing to the actual end rather than the convenient one — is what separates work that lasts from work that merely looks done.
This is why the working length became the name for everything I write here, and how the idea travels far beyond a single tooth.
Educational content, not a diagnosis. See a clinician for personal advice.
Dr. Nouman Waheed is an endodontist practising in Dubai with 23+ years of clinical experience. He writes, teaches accredited CME, and builds tools where dentistry meets technology. More about him — for patient guides, visit patienthub.care.
The Working Length — monthly letter
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