38 results about "ENDODONTIC PROCEDURES" patented technology

An ultrasonic liquefaction endodontic system having a graspable hand piece having a flow passageway therethrough. An ultrasonic energy generator is secured to the hand piece. A flexible injection tube is dimensioned for insertion into a tooth root canal. A source of flushing fluid under pulsed pressure is connected to the hand piece by which fluid pressure pulses having ultrasonic energy superimposed thereon are forced into a root canal.

A device for performing endodontic procedures such as root canals by utilizing ultrasonic energy to debride the root canal space. The device includes a modified shaft assembly and a stainless steel hypodermic needle which concentrates the ultrasonic energy at the tip of the needle. The shaft assembly further includes a threaded housing for attaching the shaft assembly to an ultrasonic generator, an angled shaft attached to the threaded housing, and a hub attached to the end of the angled shaft opposite the threaded housing for reducing the diameter of the bore when the hub is tightened. The angled shaft further includes a bore passing through its length and an aperture passing through the outer wall of the shaft. The aperture is positioned near the larger of the two angles formed by the angled shaft and is oriented in the direction of the hub. The needle is inserted into the aperture and passes through the bore in the angled shaft until it exits the shaft through the hub. The working length of the needle may be adjusted by the practitioner.

An endodontic instrument and method for making same is provided. A rod of superelastic material is set into a shaped configuration to form an instrument, such that the instrument may be inserted into a root canal in a configuration different than the shaped configuration and revert towards its shaped configuration during the endodontic procedure.

An endodontic tool is provided to facilitate the removal of the smear layer and to enhance deep lateral cleaning of a root canal system. The tool is comprised of a sonic or ultrasonically driven activator which is made from a strong, flexible, non-metallic, and non-cutting material. The activator can be smooth. A snap-on coupler is adapted to attach the tool to a driver via a snap on action and without the use of tools. The driver will vibrate, sonically or ultrasonically, the flexible activator within a root canal of a tooth. The tool can be provided with fluid passages which allow for irrigating reagents to be delivered through the activator and into the root canal space during endodontic procedures.

An endodontic tool is provided to facilitate the removal of the smear layer and to enhance deep lateral cleaning of a root canal system. The tool is comprised of a sonic or ultrasonically driven activator which is made from a strong, flexible, non-metallic, and non-cutting material. The activator can be smooth. A snap-on coupler is adapted to attach the tool to a driver via a snap on action and without the use of tools. The driver will vibrate, sonically or ultrasonically, the flexible activator within a root canal of a tooth. The tool can be provided with fluid passages which allow for irrigating reagents to be delivered through the activator and into the root canal space during endodontic procedures.

An endodontic activator is provided to facilitate the removal of pulp tissue, the smear layer, and, when present, bacteria and their related irritants from a root canal system during an endodontic procedure. The activator enhances disinfection and deep lateral cleaning of a root canal system. The activator is a sonically driven activator which is made from a strong, flexible, non-metallic, and non-cutting material. The activator can be smooth, flocked or brush-like. The activator comprises a snap-on coupler which is adapted to attach the tool to a driver via a snap on action and without the use of tools. The activator can be provided with fluid passages which allow for irrigating reagents to be delivered into or vacuumed from the root canal space during endodontic procedures. By inducing sonic vibrations in the activator, hydrodynamic phenomenon are induced in the solution in the root canal to enhance deep lateral cleaning of the root canal system of the tooth.

In an endodontic procedure, after the working of a root canal by instruments to remove material and shape the walls of the canal, irrigant is supplied via a microcannula. A vacuum is applied via a tube which is inserted partway down the root canal. The tube and microcannula pass through a material created by a standard dental filling material of a composite nature which provides a seal at a position near the top of the coronal opening. The irrigant is supplied in a manner sufficient to ensure delivery to a side vent of the microcannula. The vacuum at the end of tube draws the irrigant and debris up from the apex of the root canal into the tube. The side vent may have a plurality of more round holes, a diagonal slit, or a U shaped slit, or any other shape. The vent opening should not extend more than approximately 0.75 mm from the closed spherical tip of the microcannula, it must be burr free any the opening must be smaller than the internal diameter of the microcannula.

An endodontic file comprising a conductive shank, and a generally non-conductive portion circumscribing the conductive shank and longitudinally extending along the conductive shank. A method for conducting an endodontic procedure comprising providing an endodontic file assembly having a conductive shank electrically engaged to an electronic device for furnishing current to the conductive shank. A generally non-conductive portion circumscribes the conductive shank. The conductive shank including the non-conductive portion passes into a root canal of a tooth for conducting an endodontic procedure.

A method of filling and sealing a root canal during an endodontic procedure, the method comprising: a) filling the root canal with a combination comprising: i) an obturator composed at least in part of a chemically-bondable material; and ii) a self-etching adhesive or self-adhesive resin-based cement or sealer; and b) curing the combination to seal the root canal. Also disclosed is a kit for carrying out the method, the kit comprising: a) an obturator composed at least in part of a chemically-bondable material; and b) a self-adhesive resin-based cement or sealer.

The present invention relates to the method of replacing an infected, broken, decayed tooth that would otherwise require extraction or root canal therapy with a duplicate ceramic tooth implant uncoated or coated with a series of treatments and manufactured for compatibility by obtaining CAT-SCAN images of the tooth prior to extraction or by utilizing typical ‘lost wax’ duplicating technology. The invention give the dentist an alternative to performing a root canal procedure (endodontic procedure) on an infected tooth that presents the problematic and in most cases the impossible task of eliminating all the bacteria from the tooth interior and adjacent bone. The bacteriais problematic in that it causes adjacent implants to fail and thus it is presumed to cause other distal chronic inflammatory diseases if these “foci of infections” are not removed.

Methods and related systems for cleaning a root canal of a tooth employing a super-elastic NiTi endodontic file while applying ultrasonic energy during the cleaning procedure. Such a method may include inserting an endodontic file into a root canal of a tooth in which the file includes a working portion comprising a super-elastic NiTi alloy.

The root canal is cleaned by moving the working portion of the file within the root canal so that the working portion of the file cuts or abrades tissue within the root canal. Ultrasonic energy is applied to the file, tooth, or both in order to assist in breaking up and removing necrotic tissue in the root canal during cleaning. The ultrasonic energy is applied in a manner that does not result in breakage of the file for a period of at least 3 minutes. In an embodiment, a length of the exposed portion of the file is maintained at 22 mm or more to delay file breakage.

An electronic device for locating the apex of a root canal within a tooth of a dental patient has a display screen on a display component to provide an image indicating when the apex of a root canal has been located. A free end of a first electrical lead is provided for placement within the root canal or in contact with an electrically conductive tool within the root canal. A free end of a second electrical lead is used to establishing a ground on a conductive portion of the dental patient such as a tissue surface within the mouth. The opposite ends of each of the leads is connected to the display component. Removeably attached to the display component is a lead carrier. The detachable lead carrier and the leads mounted thereon can be sterilized as a unit and then attached to the display component, which is bagged in a sterile barrier, for performing the apex locating procedure. The apex locator has one or more mounting structures for placing the display in a location adjacent the patients head, attached to adjacent instrumentation, or attached to the dental practitioner's hand or arm such that the display image is readily visible by the dental practitioner during the apex locating procedure.

An platform for use with an instrument during an endodontic procedure. The platform includes a substantially rectangular-shaped body for holding the instrument pierced partly therethrough, a linear measure for establishing the working length of the instrument; and a reservoir for receiving a medicament. The platform may also include a removable marker for staking out distance along the linear measure and a plurality of scoreable stage markings for indicating the particular stage of the endodontic procedure.

A cleaning instrument for an endodontic procedure such as a root canal provides a distal portion for agitating an irrigant, comprising in some embodiments agitating structures that stir the irrigant to assist in removing the smear layer and dislodging loosely adhered organic debris. The structures may also be designed to assist in evacuating irrigant from the canal. Some embodiments provide orifices through which an irrigating fluid can traverse the distal portion of the instrument and enter the canal to wash away loosened debris and sterilize the canal.

The invention relates to a handpiece for simultaneously irrigating and suctioning during an endodontic procedure, the handpiece comprising a handle portion comprising a first fluid line and a second fluid line passing into a head portion comprising an outlet for the first fluid line and an inlet for the second fluid line. The invention also relates to a method of performing a dental procedure such as a root canal. The handpiece permits the procedure of irrigating, cleansing and disinfection to be conducted by a single operator such as an endodontist, a dentist or even a dental student.