Dentaltown July 2020 - 38

A LESS
INVASIVE

ROOT CANAL OPTION
A Townie endodontist recaps the benefits, limitations and
considerations behind his preferred treatment system

I

've been a GentleWave user since 2017 and
it's changed the way I approach endodontics in
much the same way the introduction of rotary
instrumentation, operating microscopes and
cone-beam CT scans did. GentleWave, at least
empirically, is improving the success rates at my
practice and allowing us to save teeth that previously
may not have been successful.
Before we get too deep into specifics, let's first
discuss the foundation of endodontics and ask, "What
is the purpose of this specialty?" The most common
answers to that question cover quite a range: the
elimination of bacteria and infection from the root
canal space; cleaning and shaping the root canal
space; curing pulpal and/or periapical pathology.
While these are all lofty goals that, arguably,
may or may not be achieved through root canal
therapy, they are not the purpose of the treatment we
provide. According to the American Association of

DT0720_Axx_Endodontics_MM.indd 38

Endodontists, the purpose of endodontic treatment
is to create an environment in which the body can
heal itself. That's a profound position statement,
and one that should humble all of us who regularly
perform endodontic treatment.
Our treatment isn't actually the cure for pulpal
or apical pathology. Through our procedures, it's
true that we may lower the bacterial content of
the root canal spaces enough for the majority of
infected teeth to heal, but it's been shown countless
times that no treatment method we currently use
eliminates 100% of bacteria from teeth. I don't
think anyone would argue with that. Our goal
in treatment is to reduce bacteria counts to the
lowest that we possibly can and to create the right
set of circumstances in the root canal system that,
proven through scientific studies, will allow the
body's natural biological processes to take over and
resolve pathology.

6/22/20 12:36 PM



Dentaltown July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown July 2020

Dentaltown July 2020 - Intro
Dentaltown July 2020 - Cover1
Dentaltown July 2020 - Cover2
Dentaltown July 2020 - 1
Dentaltown July 2020 - 2
Dentaltown July 2020 - 3
Dentaltown July 2020 - 4
Dentaltown July 2020 - 5
Dentaltown July 2020 - 6
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Dentaltown July 2020 - Cover3
Dentaltown July 2020 - Cover4
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