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The Latest Advances in Root Canal Procedures

Jan 27, 2017

If your dentist has told you that you need to have a root canal, you may be concerned. Decades ago, root canals were not performed with the kind of high-tech equipment that is used today, and the procedure could be very long and involved.

Today, getting a root canal is a completely different experience. Advanced techniques and equipment have helped dentists deliver a restorative dentistry experience that’s much like getting a cavity filled. You’re comfortable the whole time, because modern root canals are nearly pain free.

Advanced Equipment and Medicine at a Pittsburgh Dental Practice

• Anesthesia used during root canals has been completely modernized. It’s now a simple process to numb the entire tooth and nerves during a root canal so that the patient doesn’t feel a thing.
• Motor hand pieces allow your dentist to perform a root canal with complete accuracy, making for a faster procedure and an outcome that lasts for decades.
• Ultrasonic instruments assist with canal irrigation and cleaning, an improvement to conventional shaping and filling methods used in the past.
• Nickel titanium files used to clean root canals of infection are more flexible—and remove more infected areas—than the stainless steel files used before.
• Surgical microscopes are used to see if the infection in your tiny roots has been completely cleared out during the procedure.
• Digital X-rays allow dentists to see the tooth and roots with amazingly accuracy. Unlike traditional X-rays, digital X-rays produce less radiation, and there’s no delay in their development time, so your procedure goes more quickly.
• Apex locators use sound waves to determine where the end of the root is so that every part can be cleaned and then filled completely.
• Gutta Percha is used to fill and seal the canals after they are cleaned. It’s antibacterial and non-allergenic and reduces the likelihood of irritation after restorative dentistry.

After your root canal is completed, you may feel some irritation for up to two days afterwards. Be sure to eat soft foods and take the OTC medication that your dentist suggests.

All of these materials and the equipment used in modern dentistry offer a much more pleasant experience during the procedure, and the advanced filling will ensure that the root canal lasts for many years. If you think that you may need a root canal, call Pittsburgh Dental Practice Severns Dentistry and Orthodontics today.

Author: Natalie Severns, DMD

Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Severns specialized in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. She then did an externship in London, England, at the prestigious Guy’s Hospital. At this hospital, she learned top therapies in Dentofacial Orthopedics to provide her patients with the best possible facial esthetics.



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