WO2006082101A2

WO2006082101A2 - Root canal probe and method for cleaning a root canal

Info

Publication number: WO2006082101A2
Application number: PCT/EP2006/001030
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karl Behr; Karl H. Hammerer
Original assignee: Karl Behr; Hammerer Karl H
Priority date: 2005-02-04
Filing date: 2006-02-06
Publication date: 2006-08-10
Also published as: DE102005024893B4; DE102005024893A1; WO2006082101A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a root canal probe comprising a tip (1) that is provided with a jacket (2) which delimits a hollow space (4) towards the outside. Said jacket (2) encompasses openings (3) that are connected to the hollow space (4) via one respective connecting duct. The invention further relates to a method for cleaning a root canal with a cleaning liquid (6). According to said method, the cleaning liquid (6) is sprayed in a radial direction relative to the root canal or away from the apex.

Description

Root canal probe and method for cleaning a root canal

The invention relates to a root canal probe with a tip and a method for cleaning a root canal with a cleaning liquid.

During the preparation of the root canals in dental endodontics, after the instrumental processing in the dental canal, a bacterially penetrated abrasion arises which must be removed. The following methods are known:

In the treated tooth is a bacteriophobic liquid, such as NaOCl, chloro-hexidine, EDTA, etc. , injected and then rinsed out this liquid. Instead of injecting a bacteriophobic liquid, corresponding bacteriophobic pastes are introduced with a root canal instrument or "mini-brushes." However, a disadvantage of these two methods is that both the rinsing with the liquid and the application of the pastes are frequently followed by bacterially penetrated abrasion Tooth root (the apex) arrives.

To prevent this, the root canal can also be cleaned with the help of ultrasound. However, this is always a global cleanup that creates high local energy densities, just around the apex. The result is often the onset of pain in the patient and also the contamination of the apex.

Another method of cleaning is known in the form of thermal germination. In this case, for example, by means of a laser beam, the area in question is heated to the extent that the germs are thermally killed. However, due to the high local energy densities in the area of the apex, pain also regularly occurs for the patient. The object of the invention is therefore to provide a root canal probe, by means of which a cleaning process of a root canal is possible, which causes no pain in the patient to be treated and can not reach the apex penetrated by bacteria. Similarly, it is an object of the invention to provide such a cleaning process.

According to the invention the object is achieved by a root canal probe with a tip according to the features of patent claim 1. Characterized in that the tip has a jacket which defines a cavity to the outside and in the shell openings are connected to the cavity each via a connection channel, a cleaning liquid can be injected into the root canal of a tooth treated, and not in the longitudinal direction of the root canal probe - ie in the direction of the apex - but in the radial direction. This avoids that the bacterially occupied abrasion, which is located in the root canal, is pushed towards the apex and leads there to inflammations. In addition, this avoids high local energy densities in the area of the apex and thus the patient is spared from additional pain. Advantageously, the diameter of the openings is smaller than 100 .mu.m, in particular 50 .mu.m. This is a good value in comparison to the size of the root canal probe, in particular its diameter, with which an excellent functional injection of the cleaning agent can be achieved.

An advantageous development of the invention provides that the connection channels can be closed or obviously via piezo ejectors. Such piezo ejectors are known in the art of ink jet printers and have a high technical standard. It is therefore very simple and inexpensive to invest these piezo ejectors, which have been tried and tested in inkjet printers, without having to invest any new development costs. Sen - to incorporate into the root canal probe according to the invention. In the context of this invention, piezoelectric ejectors are understood to mean the very fine piezoelectric structures known from the technology of modern printing devices, the ink jet printers already mentioned above, with which it is possible to produce very small quantities of liquid in a very small space (US Pat. there in the form of inks) and precisely to dose.

A further advantageous development of the invention provides that the connecting channels point away from the end of the tip in the longitudinal direction of the tip in the direction of their respective opening. This will prevent in an even better way that bacteria contaminated with abrasion in the direction of the apex is pressed. On the contrary, it is even the case that the negative pressure in the area of the apex caused by the rays of injected cleaning liquid away from the apex leads to the fact that any bacterial abrasion that may already be present in this area is sucked upwards and by the cleaning liquid, which is absorbed by the Apex points away, gets carried away.

Advantageously, the openings are arranged in a longitudinal direction on a spiral line or on concentric circles. This represents very simple design options, as the coat of the tip can be perforated. In addition, this also simplifies the control of certain patterns of the individual openings in their time sequence.

A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the jacket of the tip is cone-shaped. Such a conical design can be made very simple and inexpensive, especially if the coat of the tip is preferably made of a metal. In addition, such a tip can be inserted very well into the root canal. A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the jacket is conductively connected to the piezo ejectors and on its inner surface in each case a control line is connected to each piezo ejector. As a result, it is not necessary to provide each individual piezo ejector with two lines in order to be able to control it. Rather, it is only necessary to apply the required potential to the respective control line, while the potential on the jacket for all ejectors can be kept constant, in particular it is possible to set this potential at the jacket to ground potential.

A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the tip is rotatable about its central longitudinal axis. This makes it possible that even with a not so complicated control of the piezo ejectors or a tip without any piezo ejectors, a kind of vortex formation is generated upwards, ie away from the apex, which serves, possibly deposited in the region of the apex from there, conveyed abrasion from there upwards and carried along by means of the cleaning liquid. This also makes inflammation of the apex effective - without causing pain in the patient - prevented.

The object is also achieved by a method having the features of claim 10. The fact that the cleaning liquid is introduced in the radial direction with respect to the root canal or away from the apex avoids that bacterially penetrated abrasion by the cleaning fluid is forced into the apex. This avoids inflammation of the apex and thus pain for the patient.

An advantageous development of the invention provides that the introduction of the cleaning liquid intermittently, in particular with a high repetition occurs. This ensures that creates a negative pressure at the end of the tip becomes, so that possibly already on the apex located bacterially penetrated abrasion is released and sucked up and is taken away by the cleaning liquid.

A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that for root canal cleaning a root canal probe or a root canal probe according to the invention is used according to one of the advantageous developments of the invention. It is particularly advantageous if the piezo ejectors are driven in a spiral sequence with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tip. This further promotes the suction effect near the tip end. The same applies if the tip is rotated about its central longitudinal axis. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the tip is moved along its central longitudinal axis. This corresponds approximately to the movement of a mechanical brush, whereby even better bacterially penetrated abrasion can be solved within the root canal.

Further details of the invention will be made with reference to the embodiment described below. The only figure shows

a schematic longitudinal section through the tip of a root canal probe according to the invention.

In the figure, a longitudinal section through a tip 1 of a root canal probe according to the invention along its central longitudinal axis 8 is shown. The tip 1 has a jacket 2, which converges downwardly in a cone shape to an end 7. The jacket 2 thus forms a cavity 4. In the jacket 2 a plurality of openings 3 are present. The openings 3 are each connected via a connecting channel, not shown, with the cavity 4. At each individual connection channel, a piezo ejector 5 is mounted, which can open or close this connection channel. The connection channels are aligned so that their injection direction 9 from the end 7 of the Spit- ze 1 away. This means that cleaning liquid 6, which is forced through the cavity 4 through the connection channels, leaves the openings 3 upwards.

The jacket 2 of the tip 1 is made of a metal. These may be, for example, nickel titanium, such as the dental drills. However, this is not necessary because the tip 1 is mechanically hardly loaded. Accordingly, it is also possible to use a softer metal, for example aluminum. Instead of a metal, a ceramic material can also be used. However, since the root canals to be treated are sometimes not straight, a certain bendability of the tip 1 is advantageous, which is not the case with a ceramic material in contrast to a metallic material.

The piezo ejectors 5 are basically constructed as in modern inkjet printers. Depending on whether a voltage is applied to them or not, they change their longitudinal expansion. Thus, the connection channels and thus also the openings 3, which have a diameter of about 50 microns, can be easily opened or closed. The piezo ejectors 5 are connected at one end conductively connected to the existing metal jacket 2. So they are all at the same potential. The other end of each piezoelectric ejector 5 is in each case via a control line, not shown, which may be electrically isolated on the inner surface of the metallic shell 2, contacted. By applying or removing a voltage at the respective control line, the length of the respective piezo ejector 5 can thus be controlled individually and thus the associated opening 3 can be closed or opened.

For the control both in time as well as in spatial sequence of the individual piezo ejectors 5 a variety of possibilities is given. For example, the piezo ejectors 5 can be controlled so that their time Liehe sequence moves on a helical line when looking at the tip 1 parallel to the central longitudinal axis 8 from the end 7 ago. When going with the closest to the center longitudinal axis

8 arranged piezo ejector 5 starts and then spiral outwards, the piezo ejectors 5 are driven in such a sequence that an opening or closing in the figure from bottom to top moves spirally around the conical jacket 2. However, other drive patterns are equally possible.

The arrangement of the openings 3 and thus also of the piezoelectric ejectors 5 on the casing 2 is possible in principle as desired. However, these are preferably arranged in the spiral shape just described when viewed parallel to the central longitudinal axis 8. Another preferred arrangement is concentric about the central longitudinal axis 8.

The illustrated root canal probe according to the invention is used in a method according to the invention as follows:

The tip 1 of the root canal probe is inserted into the root canal of the tooth to be treated, so that its end 7 points to the apex. Cleaning liquid 6 is pressed into the cavity 4 of the tip 1 along the large vertical arrow. As long as the openings 3 are closed with the associated connection channels through the piezo ejectors 5, nothing happens. However, as soon as one of the piezo ejectors 5 (or several simultaneously) is driven by one of the control lines (not shown), the associated connecting channel opens and the cleaning liquid 6 is due to the pressure under which it is pressed into the cavity 4 in the respective injection direction 9 sprayed out of the tip 1. The spraying directions shown

9 are all contrary to the flow direction of the cleaning liquid 6, d. H. directed from bottom to top. This means that the spraying direction 9 faces away from the apex, which lies opposite the end 7 of the tip 1. This will avoid that which is due to the previous treatment of the tooth accrued bacterially penetrated abrasion is transported to the apex. Rather, it is so that this abraded bacterial abrasion is just moved away from the apex by being carried along by the exiting cleaning liquid 6. This is then sucked up through a device, not shown, so that it exits the tooth.

It is particularly advantageous if the piezo ejectors 5 spiral-shaped, d. H. moving away from the end 7 to be driven around the jacket 2. If this is done at a high frequency and possibly also with high pressure of the cleaning liquid 6, a negative pressure is created beneath the openings 3 in the region of the end 7 of the tip 1, due to the suction effect of which is possibly bacterial in this area or at the apex penetrated abrasion are sucked up and entrained by the exiting cleaning fluid 6. This prevents the apex from becoming inflamed.

By the injection direction 9 and the missing openings 3 in the region of the end 7 of the tip 1, it is avoided that the apex is hit directly by cleaning fluid 6. This avoids pain for the patient. In addition, unlike in the prior art, no locally high energy densities are given in the inventive method. This also reduces, if not stops, the onset of pain for the patient.

As cleaning liquids 6, it is possible to use all known cleaning liquids, such as, for example, Na-OCl, chloro-hexidine or EDTA. Instead of using piezo ejectors 5, it would also be possible simply to use non-closable connection channels. The cleaning fluid 6 would then be subjected to an intermittent pressure, which leads to cleaning fluid 6 always being sprayed at predetermined time intervals in the spraying direction 9 Openings 3 emerges. Here, however, no specifiable control of the openings 3 would be possible, as is the case with the piezoelectric ejectors 5 described above.

In addition, it is also possible not to form the tip 1 rotationally symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis 8, d. H. not conical but with a different cross section.

To increase the generation of a negative pressure, the tip 1 can also be rotated about the central longitudinal axis 8. In addition, it is also possible to move the tip 1 along its central longitudinal axis 8 up and down. This produces a similar effect as would be possible with a conventional brush.

All the options described above to carry out the method serve to remove the bacterially penetrated abrasion as far as possible without residue from the root canal, without the apex having to be treated directly with cleaning fluid 6 and thus as possible pain is not generated in the patient.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

top

coat

opening

cavity

Piezo-ejector

cleaning fluid

End of the syringe

central longitudinal axis

spraying direction

Claims

claims

1. root canal probe with a tip (1), characterized in that the tip (1) has a jacket (2) which defines a cavity (4) to the outside and in the shell (2) openings (3) are provided with the cavity (4) are each connected via a connecting channel.

2. root canal probe according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the openings (3) is smaller than 100 microns, in particular 50 microns.

3. root canal probe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting channels via piezo ejectors (5) are closable or apparently.

4. root canal probe according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the connecting channels in the longitudinal direction of the tip (1) in the direction of their respective opening (3) from the end (7) of the tip (1) point away.

5. root canal probe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the openings (3) in the direction of the central longitudinal axis (8) are arranged as seen on a spiral line or on concentric circles.

6. root canal probe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the jacket (2) of the tip (1) is conical.

7. root canal probe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the jacket (2) of the tip (1) consists of a metal.

8. root canal probe according to claim 7, characterized in that the jacket (2) is conductively connected to the piezoelectric ejectors (5) and on its inner surface in each case a control line with each piezoelectric ejector (5) is connected.

9. root canal probe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tip (1) about its central longitudinal axis (8) is rotatable.

10. A method for cleaning a root canal with a cleaning liquid (6), characterized in that the injection direction (9) of the cleaning liquid (6) in the radial direction, based on the root canal, o- is aligned away from the apex.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the introduction of the cleaning liquid (6) intermittently, in particular with a high re petition rate takes place.

12. The method according to any one of the claims 10 or 11, characterized in that a root canal probe is used according to one of the preceding claims.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the piezo ejectors (5) in a spiral sequence with respect to the central longitudinal axis (8) of the tip (1) are driven.

14. The method according to any one of the claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the tip (1) to their

Center longitudinal axis (8) is rotated.

15. Method according to claim 12, wherein the tip is moved along its central longitudinal axis.