2 Newer Root Canal Procedure Types & How They Are Performed
Posted on: 17 September 2021
If you need to have a root canal procedure performed on one or more teeth, then you may wonder what your modern root canal options are. While traditional root canals are still performed and considered very effective endodontic treatments, there are two newer types of root canals that utilize modern technology as an aid when cleaning and disinfecting tooth canals, reshaping canals, and much more.
Read on to learn about two newer root canal procedure types and how they compare to traditional root canals.
1. Laser-assisted Root Canal
While a traditional root canal is performed only with the use of classic dental instruments, such as drills, files, and irrigation systems, a dentist or endodontist enlists the help of a special laser when performing a laser-assisted root canal. While a root canal laser does not take the place of all of these instruments, it is utilized when it can perform a task more efficiently or comfortably than it can be performed with traditional dental instruments.
During a laser root canal procedure, the laser may be used to create a hole in the tooth surface that is needed to access the infected tooth pulp; in a traditional root canal procedure, this hole is created with a dental drill. A root canal laser is also often used to disinfect the tooth canals much more effectively than a simple dental file and irrigation system can. Finally, this laser may also be used to soften and shape dental filling placed in the tooth after the root canal procedure to ensure it seals the tooth surface properly to prevent future infection.
A laser-assisted root canal procedure is a good option if you dislike the sound of dental drills and would like a root canal alternative that potentially results in less post-procedure discomfort.
2. GentleWave Root Canal
Another newer type of root canal procedure is called a GentleWave root canal. During a GentleWave root canal procedure, a traditional drill is used to create an access hole in the tooth surface, and a dental file may be used to remove some tooth pulp and begin cleaning out the tooth root canals.
However, the dental file and traditional irrigation tools are not the only devices used to clean out the root canals during a GentleWave root canal. Instead, a special GentleWave device is used to flush the tooth canals with a special disinfection fluid. This fluid can enter and disinfect small areas of the tooth root canal system that are difficult to reach with a dental file, so it often disinfects root canals more effectively than traditional dental tools can alone.
This root canal procedure is a good option if your dentist determines that your tooth anatomy would make disinfection with this tool more effective than standard root canal disinfection methods.
Consider these two modern root canal procedure types and their unique benefits in mind when deciding whether you would prefer a traditional or modern root canal procedure.
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