Customized Root Canal Obturation Core for Void-Free Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current root canal obturation methods often result in voids and leakage, leading to re-infection and reduced long-term success due to the difficulty in filling non-uniformly shaped canals with existing solid core materials, which allow bacterial and tissue fluid infiltration.
Innovation Solution
A customized root canal obturation core with a pre-formed single-piece body that closely matches the root canal contour, manufactured using a computer-controlled system based on a three-dimensional image of the canal, ensuring a seal impervious to bacteria and tissue fluid, and potentially made from biocompatible, antimicrobial, and radiopaque materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional solid core materials are used for obturation, then the procedure is simple and quick, but voids and leakage occur leading to re-infection
Solution Approach 1:
The root canal contour is captured and a customized core is manufactured in advance before the obturation procedure. This preliminary action allows the core to be precisely tailored to the patient's specific canal geometry, ensuring complete filling without voids while maintaining procedural efficiency through pre-fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
An exact copy of the patient's root canal geometry is created using imaging technology (CBCT, optical coherence tomography, or micro-CT). This digital or physical replica serves as the template for manufacturing the customized obturation core, ensuring precise fit and complete canal filling.
2Reliability
If ribbon-shaped and widely oval-shaped canals are filled with conventional materials, then the procedure is straightforward, but complete filling is difficult and voids remain
Solution Approach 1:
The obturation core is customized to match the specific local geometry of each patient's root canal, including ribbon-shaped and widely oval-shaped canals. The core's contour, cross-sectional shape, and dimensions are locally adapted to the canal's unique characteristics, ensuring complete filling without voids in complex geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The exact contour and geometry of the patient's root canal are captured through imaging and used to create a precise copy or template. This replica serves as the basis for manufacturing the customized core, ensuring that the final obturation material perfectly matches the canal's complex shape.
3Ease of manufacture
If incremental placement of gutta percha is used, then the procedure is conventional and accepted, but significant voids are generated leading to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The obturation core is pre-formed with the exact geometry needed to fill the specific root canal, eliminating the need for incremental placement and compaction. This preliminary preparation ensures that the core can be inserted as a single piece, completely filling the canal without generating voids that would lead to leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The obturation core integrates the filling material and the shaping function into a single pre-formed unit. Instead of separately placing and compacting multiple increments of gutta percha, the customized core combines these functions, delivering complete canal filling in one insertion while maintaining procedural efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A core for obturating a root canal includes a body that has a pre-formed contour that closely matches a contour of the root canal. When the core is inserted in the root canal with or without sealer, there are essentially no voids in the root canal. A method of making a customized root canal obturation core includes generating a three-dimensional image of a root canal. The method also includes manufacturing the customized root canal obturation core based on the three-dimensional image of the root canal. The customized root canal obturation core has a preformed contour that closely matches a contour of the root canal such that when the core is inserted in the root canal with or without sealer there are essentially no voids in the root canal.