Root Canal Treatment

A new laser technique is giving patients a less invasive approach to one of the most dreaded procedures in oral health: the root canal

Endodontists, specialists who treat the interior of teeth, are now using laser technology to enhance their ability to clean and disinfect teeth during root canal treatments. This advancement is great news for patients — specially those with complex dental needs that have, until recently, been difficult to treat effectively.

Dr. Jackson Partin, an endodontist at Foundation Dental Specialists in Pasadena, explains that the laser creates tiny bubbles inside the tooth, helping to clean areas that traditional instruments might miss.

“It’s just a couple minutes of using the laser,” Dr. Partin said, emphasizing the simplicity of incorporating this new technology into existing procedures at where he practices, Foundation Dental Specialists.

The significance of this new method lies in its potential to improve outcomes for patients with difficult cases, such as teeth with severely curved roots. By more thoroughly cleaning these complex structures, dentists hope to reduce the risk of infection and the need for repeated visits.

Importantly, this laser method doesn’t replace conventional root canal techniques but rather complements them.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” Dr. Partin noted, highlighting how seamlessly the new technology integrates into current practices.

For patients, this could mean more successful root canal treatments with potentially longer-lasting results, faster healing time with minimally invasive approaches.

While the procedure itself may still not be anyone’s idea of a good time, the promise of improved effectiveness might just take some of the sting out of those dreaded words: “You need a root canal.”

Endodontists undergo specific training to use this technology effectively. Dr. Partin mentions, “I used lasers before, but once we implemented the laser in our practice, our doctors, including myself went through an intensive multi-day laser training course.”

Looking to the future, Dr. Partin anticipates further advancements in laser technology for endodontics.

While laser technology shows promise, Dr. Partin emphasizes that the primary goal remains unchanged: “Our main goal is just to reduce inflammation in the tooth, and we do that by cleaning it. And so anything that helps us clean it more thoroughly, it is great news for the patients.”

Foundation Dental Specialists in Pasadena is located at 747 Locust Street, Suite 200. For more information, call (626) 796-5361 or visit https://www.foundationdentalspecialists.com.

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