Root canal disinfection (Endodontics)
GREAT EFFECT – NO SIDE EFFECTS
Root canal disinfection with a gentle laser light!
Information for patients
Have you been told that one of your teeth needs root canal treatment in order to prevent you losing it?
We would like to give you some information on this:
Each tooth is made up of a crown (the visible part of the tooth in the mouth) and a root, which is anchored into the bone by one or more root apexes. The blood vessels and nerves, which provide circulation to the tooth and ensure perception of temperature and pain, enter the tooth through these apexes.
The tooth nerve has a very complex structure, and the way it runs in the tooth can be compared to a tree root with lots of fine branches.
However, it is also this tooth nerve that can cause extreme pain. This occurs when the tooth is affected by caries, and therefore infected with bacteria. An inflammation develops, which then attacks the bone. The tooth becomes sensitive to pressure and loosens, which can result in the tooth having to be removed.
Root canal treatment is recommended to prevent this happening. The treatment involves the tooth nerve being removed, the root canals being dilated and cleaned, and then finally closed with a filling material. A major problem in root canal treatment is the fact that using existing procedures it is very hard to remove bacteria, which cause inflammation, from root canal systems with high numbers of branches, with the result that despite everyone’s best (and also unavoidably painful!) efforts, the end result can still be the loss of the tooth.
Helping people keep their own teeth for the longest amount of time possible is a very important aim for the dentistry profession as it is crucial for the health and well-being of the patient.
Root canal disinfection with a gentle laser light
In order to increase the chance of success when using this procedure, the use of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for the disinfection of the root canal is also recommended. This is an innovative therapy procedure, which uses state-of-the-art laser technology to fight bacteria.
The fundamental advantages in comparison to the standard procedures:
- Significantly higher chance of success of the root canal treatment, and therefore also a higher chance of keeping the tooth.
- Significantly shorter treatment times.
- Significant reduction of pain.
This is how the therapy works:
Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is a gentle, pain-free treatment method without side effects. In addition to removing the nerve tissue and dilating the root canals, a blue dye solution is applied to the root canals. This solution is a photosensitiser, meaning a dye that reacts to laser light at a particular wavelength. The dye molecules attach themselves to the bacterial membranes, staining the bacteria. The final step is exposure using a gentle therapy laser. The laser light triggers the build-up of active oxygen, which damages the bacterial membrane and therefore destroys the bacteria. The root canals are then filled, and the tooth is treated.
This simple and quick therapy often avoids the need for surgery, for example in the case of a root apex resection or even a tooth extraction.
Scientific research has already been carried out on antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for more than 10 years, particularly in the area of periodontics (periodontal disease). The results of treatment have been backed-up by clinical studies (e.g. at the University of Vienna) and by practical experience in numerous dental practices.
Are you interested in this innovative, low-pain, side effect-free therapy? Give us a call – we will be happy to give you details of people who use this in your area!
