Tiny, Mighty Tools in Endodontics
It’s really quite amazing how advanced tools have become over thousands of years! To think that as humans we started with mere sticks and stones as tools, and now we can visit space via rocket ships is simply mind-boggling!
Now, while not exactly moon-landing technology, we’d like to point out that endodontic tools have also become highly developed over the years, with very specialized tools designed for each step in the process.
Endodontists use a wide variety of tools, each built for a specific purpose, but with one thing always in common: size. The tools that we use in endodontics are some of the smallest surgical tools out there! This, of course, allows us to properly access tiny roots in order to get the root canal therapy done right. To give you an example, some of these tools are just around a single millimeter thick (or less!), necessitating highly-skilled operators.
Here are some of the most commonly used tools in our office:
A bur is a tool that comes in many shapes. It’s a teeny tiny drill that can penetrate the top of the tooth to get into the pulp chamber, by removing the roof.
An endodontic spoon excavator is the tiniest spoon shaped tool you’ve ever seen. This spoon can get into the pulp chamber and allow access to the floor.
A barbed broach is a barbed point, like a thumbtack, which can spike the pulp in a tooth root, snag it, and allow it to be pulled out.
Gates-Glidden drills are super small drill bits that can fit within the root and clean it out, as well as make space for bigger tools if necessary. The root can then be cleaned with a syringe to disinfect.
And, while not as small, we can’t forget to mention our digital imaging technology, without which we wouldn’t be able to give the highest-quality root canal treatments! Digital imaging of the roots allows us to see any areas of concern, and make better decisions for your care.
So the next time you come to see us, ask us about some of the tiny precision tools we employ in our office on a daily basis!