The use of laser technology in dental treatment is considered one of the modern techniques that has proven greatly successful, and among its many uses in the dental field are nerve extraction and laser root canal filling. Through the lines of this article we will learn the most important details relating to laser tooth filling, the causes of dental nerve inflammation, and the advantages of using the laser in root canal filling and in setting fillings.
Laser root canal filling
Cleaning the nerve or extracting it is one of the painful steps in dental treatment, which the doctor resorts to when he discovers that the roots and deep tissues of the tooth have been affected by an infection or an inflammation resulting from deep tooth decay.
During laser root canal filling the doctor uses laser beams to reach the root canal, by cleaning the surface of the tooth and removing the parts damaged as a result of decay, then he sterilises in order to avoid any new infection occurring; and the laser may be used to sterilise some parts that he is unable to reach for sterilisation.
This facilitates the process of examining the nerve, reaching the root canal and removing the nerve. This method also helps to reduce the amount of pain, because of the lesser friction in the tissues that it involves during nerve extraction.
What should be pointed out is that laser root canal filling does not mean that the nerve will be killed or removed by means of the laser. Rather, "laser" is a term for certain devices that emit guiding light beams to explore the canals in which the nerve and its branches are located, so that the doctor can then remove the nerve with surgical instruments with great precision, without exposing the other tissues to harm.
"Laser root canal filling" may also be applied to the use of the laser in setting the fillings that are placed in the teeth after part of the tooth has been filed down to reach the nerve canals, since the doctor uses a high-heat light-beam instrument that works to harden the filling — which is soft in its natural state — after directing these beams at the filling for several seconds.
Advantages of laser root canal filling
There are many advantages available in the techniques of laser nerve filling for teeth and molars, which have made it the best and least painful technique. Among these advantages:
Laser root canal filling helps to eliminate bacteria and prevent them from growing again, in comparison with traditional methods, because of the great precision that characterises this technique.
This technique helps to reduce the sensation of pain during and after the procedure, since the traditional method relies on what is known as the "file" to discover the nerve canals, which is considered a manual method, and therefore it may cause pain during the procedure as a result of not reaching the nerve canals precisely. The laser, however, reveals the locations of the canals easily and with extreme precision, which reduces the likelihood of pain occurring.
It preserves the structure and integrity of the teeth to a greater degree.
Reducing the chances of bleeding during the filling.
Increasing the chance of eliminating nerve pain in a single session, since traditional methods usually need several sessions to discover the location of the nerve and then remove it, and postponing the complete closure of the molar to another session to make sure that there are no other branches of the nerve inside the molar or tooth.
This is the most important thing that distinguishes the laser root canal filling technique, and in what follows we will learn about the most important indication for performing a root canal filling operation .. namely, inflammation of the nerve.
Causes of dental nerve inflammation
The tooth nerve is the part that contains the blood vessels extending to the roots of the tooth, and it is considered one of the most important parts of the tooth.
Therefore, when the nerve is affected by a bacterial or viral inflammation, the pain reaches the enamel of the tooth, increasing the sensation of pain, which is continuous and unbearable, and leads to swelling occurring in the gums; and sometimes this inflammation causes the formation of an abscess.
Dentists attribute dental nerve inflammation to:
Neglecting oral and dental hygiene, or disregarding oral and dental hygiene,
Failing to treat teeth affected by inflammation or decay.
One of the teeth being subjected to a fracture or a crack.
Being affected by inflammation in the gums.
Tightness of the jaw on the teeth.
Erosion occurring in the enamel layer as a result of being affected by decay.
Do you know the types of dental nerve inflammation?
Inflammation that can be treated and repaired:
This type of inflammation affects the pulp of the teeth and can be treated by the various methods that treat the cause of this inflammation; therefore the nerve is treatable and can return to its natural state.
Inflammation that cannot be treated or repaired:
This type of inflammation is considered the most difficult. It too affects the pulp of the teeth, but it is untreatable, and the only solution is nerve extraction and laser root canal filling, in order to overcome this condition and the pain accompanying it.
Is it possible to treat the dental nerve without pain?
Yes, it is possible to treat the dental nerve without pain, despite the fact that toothache is one of the unbearable pains and is considered one of the terrifying things — which is why some people consider a visit to the dentist one of the most frightening things, in anticipation of those pains. But with scientific progress it has become possible to treat the dental nerve without pain. In this method the dentist relies on the use of X-rays to identify the condition of the nerve and the extent of the inflammation causing the pain, on which two things depends whether the patient needs anaesthesia or not.
The methods and sessions of treatment in the case of the nerve differ from cases of ordinary filling, because nerve treatment requires more than one session. During these sessions the doctor cleans the tooth and extracts the nerve through a hole in the tooth, then cleans the site of the nerve of bacteria using sodium hypochlorite, then comes the stage of filling the nerve canals, then filling the tooth. And in the end we can say that treating the dental nerve without pain is considered a leap forward in dental treatment.
And in what follows we will learn about the latest uses of the laser in dentistry, namely the setting of dental fillings with the laser.
Learn more about laser root canal filling and its prices
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The use of the laser in tooth filling
The uses of the laser in the field of dentistry have not been limited to laser root canal filling only; rather it has been used in
tooth filling to give an aesthetic appearance to the mouth. Among the most well-known fillings currently in use are light-cured fillings, or filling using laser beams, which is one of the newest innovations in the field of dentistry.
Steps of light-cured filling
The first of the steps is anaesthetising the nerve canal of the affected tooth and the area surrounding it, to avoid the sensation of pain, by injecting the gum with anaesthetic ..
The doctor cleans the tooth and removes the area affected by decay, either with a laser device or with the ordinary device used in drilling.
Sterilising the tooth by isolating it using cotton to prevent saliva from reaching it, and to guarantee the sterilisation process and that no contamination occurs.
Filling the tooth by placing layers of filling material, so that it resembles the natural teeth and to guarantee the stability and strength of the filling.
Then the doctor, in this step, by directing laser beams by means of a device that emits light beams towards the filling; these beams work to bond the chemical material making up the filling with the particles of the teeth, in order to set the filling and give it more stability and strength.
And in the end the doctor, after the filling has dried, removes the excess from it and levels the surface of the tooth and polishes and buffs it until it becomes the same shape as the teeth.
Advantages of dental fillings with laser technology:
Giving an aesthetic appearance to the tooth, because they preserve the shape and appearance of the tooth — the thing that has made them the most requested and widespread.
This technique provides a guide of colour shades that suit all tooth colours, unlike the old types of fillings which had a single colour, so that if the colour of the natural teeth differed from the colour of the filling, the filling that had been installed was visible.
Low cost: this method is considered one of the low-cost filling methods, that is if we compare this method with dental prosthetics or dental implants.
Ease of the procedure: this method requires only the removal of a slight layer of the crown of the tooth in order to set the filling, compared with silver or gold fillings.
It is considered the ideal solution for treating the front teeth, and is also used in building up the broken or damaged parts of the teeth — which was not an ideal solution using metal fillings, since if they were in the front teeth that would mean that they would be visible while smiling.
Stability: these fillings are distinguished by their bonding and their firmness with the natural structure of the teeth, which gives strength and stability to the teeth.
The use of laser technology in the field of dental treatment has achieved a great leap in ordinary tooth filling and in laser root canal filling, which has achieved the dream of many patients of obtaining dental nerve treatment without pain.
The prices of laser tooth filling depend on several factors, the most important of which is the quality of the materials used in the filling material,
the doctor's experience and skill and his ability to deal with modern techniques and instruments efficiently, and the devices used and their degree of modernity and how up to date they are with the latest techniques, alongside sterilisation and the care taken that the instruments are well sterilised.
The location of the treated tooth is also considered one of the factors influencing the determination of the price — whether it is front or back — and the extent of the decay.
Tips for looking after the teeth
After we have learned the importance and advantages of laser root canal filling, it is important to know that prevention is better than cure, because by following some tips you can overcome the causes that may lead to the gums becoming inflamed, or lead to bacteria penetrating into the teeth until they reach the nerve, and then the pain is great and difficult to get rid of except by removing this damaged nerve, or removing the tooth or the molar in cases that cannot be treated by removing the nerve.
Among the most important tips that help you protect your teeth:
Taking care to brush the teeth and wash them with a brush at least twice daily.
Using medical dental floss to clean the narrow places between the teeth, in which food usually gets stuck and then leads to the formation of bacteria or the layers of tartar, which are a fertile environment for decay to occur.
Eating healthy food and reducing the substances that help cause tooth decay.
Using toothpaste rich in fluoride, which strengthens the teeth.
Using mouthwash at least once.
Having a periodic check-up at the dentist.
Staying away from smoking, since smoking weakens the tooth and harms the gums and all the tissues of the mouth, which may lead to the teeth breaking or being affected by decay over time.
And because dental treatment is one of the important matters in which one must not be careless — in terms of choosing the doctor or the clinic at which you receive treatment, because carelessness may cost you a great deal of your health in the event that some disease is transmitted to you from the clinic, or in the event that the doctor is unskilled — therefore we advise that your choice should be the best dentist in Egypt.
Therefore we recommend Dr Amr Helmi, consultant at the Police Hospitals and member of the American Association for Conservative Treatment.
