WO2013138823A1

WO2013138823A1 - A root canal filler

Info

Publication number: WO2013138823A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2013/000014
Authority: WO
Inventors: Frederick Cornelius Janse Van Rensburg
Original assignee: Frederick Cornelius Janse Van Rensburg
Priority date: 2012-03-15
Filing date: 2013-03-14
Publication date: 2013-09-19
Also published as: ZA201407461B

Abstract

The invention provides a root canal filler (10) that can be positioned and secured within a cleaned root canal (12) of a tooth under reconstruction, the root canal filler (10) having a body ( 1 1) which operatively seals against all side walls of the root canal (12) and increases stability of a reconstructed tooth by providing a strengthened link between a crown (17) of a reconstructed tooth and side walls of the root canal (12).

Description

A ROOT CANAL FILLER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to endodontics and, in particular, to a root canal filler for use in a method of conducting a root canal procedure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A root canal procedure is normally used in the treatment of tooth infection caused by gum disease, decay or injury.

At the center of a tooth is a hollow area or pulp chamber that houses soft tissue, known as pulp. The pulp receives nutrition through blood vessels and sensory nerves located therein carry signals back to the brain. The pulp chamber is connected to the tip of the tooth's root via a narrow canal; hence, the term "root canal." Once a tooth is abscessed, bacteria are in the pulp and, one way, to save such an infected tooth is to remove the pulp by way of a root canal procedure.

The root canal procedure involves accessing the pulp chamber and, once in the interior of the tooth, the pulp chamber is cleaned, shaped and irrigated before being filled. Filling seals the pulp chamber and the living tissue residing in the treated tooth dies.

Generally a rubbery substance called 'gutta percha' is used as filler in conjunction with antibacterial cement. Flexibility of the gutta percha fillers allow them to be easily inserted into clean and hollowed out pulp chambers. One elongate 'gutta percha' filler is inserted and seals the pulp chamber preventing bacteria from repopulating the internal portion of the tooth. After insertion, a portion of the elongate 'gutta percha' filler protrudes from the pulp chamber. The 'gutta percha' filler is then cut so as to only locate between a half and a third of the volume of the pulp chamber approximate the root tip. The remaining hollow portion of the pulp chamber then receives a post that not only abuts the 'gutta percha' filler, but also fills and anchors a coronal portion of the tooth's crown. This is because an endodontically treated tooth often requires additional support from the root canal by means of a root canal preparation and the fabrication of a post and core restoration.

The post, which is normally from metal alloys and/or ceramics, is cemented to the pulp chamber in a procedure following insertion of the 'gutta percha' filler into said chamber.

The problem with the secondary procedure is that it is time consuming in the light of the overall root canal procedure and that the pulp chamber has to be cleaned, shaped and irrigated again before fabrication of a post and core restoration.

The 'gutta percha' filler, which, in use, locates a substantial portion of the pulp chamber, also provides another problem in that it is soft and pliable. Consequently it has no ability to counteract forces impacting thereon. Teeth treated by root canal procedures therefore often lack stability as a result of the 'gutta percha' fillers' inability to assist in anchoring or reinforcing the restored teeth. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to, at least in part, alleviate the above mentioned problems by providing a root canal filler or post for use in a method of conducting a root canal procedure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In broad terms and in accordance with this invention there is provided a root canal filler that can be positioned and secured within a cleaned root canal of a tooth under reconstruction, the root canal filler having a body which operatively seals against all side walls of the root canal and increases stability of a reconstructed tooth by providing a strengthened link between a crown of a reconstructed tooth and side walls of the route canal.

The invention also provides for the root canal filler to be a pre- manufactured root canal post having a body with a crown portion opposite a root apex portion, the crown portion being operable to fit within the root canal proximate a tooth's crown whereas the root apex portion is adapted to operatively abut a root apex of the root canal.

There is also provided for the crown portion to operatively protrude into core build-up, to which a crown can be mounted, to form an integrally formed core.

There is also provided for the body to be translucent throughout its length so that upon light curing, the root apex portion and the crown portion are hardened simultaneously and bound to side walls of the root canal to facilitate anchoring of the reconstructed tooth.

There is further provided for the body to comprise a fibre-reinforced composite material (FRC), preferably being impregnated with a resin.

More preferably, the FRC material is cemented to the root canal's apex and side walls by using glass-ionomer cement in powder, paste, or liquid form with a photopolymerizable resin, which hardens the material substantially with visible light exposure.

The invention also provides for the root canal post to have a shape complementary to that of the root canal after being cleaned and shaped with a file, the root canal post thereby having a width comparable to that of the largest file used in cleaning the root canal.

In a particular embodiment of the invention the modulus of elasticity of the body approximates that of dentin.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, there is provided a root canal filler or post for use in a method of conducting a root canal procedure comprising accessing a root canal of a tooth to clean, shape and irrigate same; locating and securing a root canal filler or post in the root canal so as to seal and anchor a crown for the tooth to all side walls of the route canal thereby increasing stability of a reconstructed tooth. In addition, protruding ends of the filler may extend into core build-up so as to form an integrally formed core to which a crown can be mounted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying non-limiting diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a section view of a tooth in which a 'gutta percha' filler is used with an ubiquitous root canal post;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a root canal post in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 3 shows a section view of a tooth in which the root canal post of Figure 2 is secured.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like numerals generally indicate like components, unless otherwise indicated.

Referring to Figure 1 , reference numeral 00 generally represents a root canal filling material as used in an ubiquitous root canal procedure.

During this procedure, a pulp chamber or root canal 1 12 of a tooth 1 14 is cleaned whereafter a 'gutta percha' filler 1 16 together with a known in the art root canal post 1 18 is fitted and secured to internal side walls 120 of the root canal 1 12. The post 118, which is normally a metal alloy and/or ceramic material, is cemented to the root canal in a secondary procedure following insertion and securement of the gutta percha filler into root canal 1 12.

As explained in the Background to the invention, the 'gutta percha' fillers 116 are manufactured from a rubbery substance which functions well as a sealing member able to seal off a cleaned bottom portion 122 of the root canal 12. However, each 'gutta percha' filler 1 16 that is cemented to the bottom portion 122 is soft and pliable. Consequently it has no ability to counteract forces impacting thereon. Teeth treated by root canal procedures, therefore, often lack stability as a result of the gutta percha fillers' inability to assist in anchoring or reinforcing restored teeth.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a root canal filler 10, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, is shown. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiment described below is not intended to limit the invention in any way, but is only provided to describe a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Root canal filler 10 is typically, but not necessarily a pre-manufactured root canal post that consists of a body 11 with a crown portion 13 opposite a root apex portion 15. Body 1 1 is shaped and configured to fit within, and completely fill, root canal 12 upon insertion of body 1 1 therein. Preferably, the crown portion 3 protrudes from the root canal 12 and extends into core build-up 50 onto which a crown 17 can be built.

Both the root apex portion 5 and the crown portion 13 operatively seals against all side walls of the root canal 12 and, thus, increases stability of a reconstructed tooth in that the body 1 anchors the crown 17 to all side walls of the route canal and, preferably, but not necessarily to core build-up 50 so as to form an integrally formed core to which the crown 7 can be mounted.

It will be appreciated that body 1 has a shape complementary to that of the root canal 12 after the latter has been cleaned and shaped with a file. The root canal post 10, thereby, has a width comparable to that of the largest file used in cleaning the root canal 12.

In use, and as shown in Figure 3, the crown portion 13 abuts root canal 12 proximate the tooth's crown 17 whereas the root apex portion 15 operatively abuts a root apex 19 of the root canal 12. Thus, according to the invention a method of conducting a root canal procedure is provided which first involves accessing root canal 12 of tooth 14 to clean, shape and irrigate same. Thereafter, root canal filler or post 10 is located and secured in root canal 12 so as to simultaneously seal and anchor post 10 to all portions of root canal 12 thereby creating an integrally formed core which is retentive in tooth 14 once same is completely reconstructed and provided with crown 17.

It will be appreciated that body 1 1 is translucent throughout its length so that upon light curing, the root apex portion 15 and the crown portion 13 are hardened simultaneously and bound to side walls 20 of the root canal 12 to facilitate anchoring of the reconstructed tooth with crown 17, This property will ensure immediate curing of the cement between the root canal side walls 20 and the root canal filler 10.

It is also anticipated that the body 11 will comprise a fibre-reinforced composite material (FRC), preferably being impregnated with a resin. The FRC material is cemented to the root canal's apex 19 and side walls 20 by using glass-ionomer cement in powder, paste, or liquid form, or similar available for endodontic purposes, with a photopolymerizable resin, which hardens the material substantially with visible light exposure. The body 1 1 further, typically, has a modulus of elasticity that approximates that of dentin.

It will be understood that the description and drawings is not intended to limit the extent of the invention, but rather it is intended to cover all modifications and methods, including: methods, for manufacturing components of root canal filler 10 falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention.

The root canal filler 10 of the present invention and method wherein same is used, thus, provides a means by which an improved, cost effective and time efficient root canal procedure can be performed.

Claims

1. A root canal filler, which is pre-manufactured, which filler includes a root canal post having a body with a crown portion opposite a root apex portion, the crown portion being operable to fit within the root canal proximate a tooth's crown whereas the root apex portion is adapted to operatively abut a root apex of the root canal.

2. A root canal filler as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the crown portion, operatively protrude into core build-up, to which a crown can be mounted, to form an integrally formed core.

3. A root canal filler as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the body is translucent throughout its length.

4. A root canal filler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the body comprise a fibre-reinforced composite material.

5. A root canal filler as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the fibre- reinforced composite material is cemented, in use, to the root canal's apex and side walls by using glass-ionomer cement in powder, paste, or liquid form with a photopolymerizable resin, which hardens the material substantially with visible light exposure.

6. A root canal filler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the root canal post has a shape complementary to that of the root canal after being cleaned and shaped with a file, the root canal post thereby having a width comparable to that of the largest file used in cleaning the root canal.

7. A root canal filler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the modulus of elasticity of the body approximates that of dentin.

8. A root canal filler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 for use in a method of conducting a root canal procedure, which method includes the steps of:

accessing a root canal of a tooth to clean, shape and irrigate same;

locating and securing a root canal filler or post in the root canal so as to seal and anchor a crown for the tooth to all side walls of the route canal thereby increasing stability of a reconstructed tooth; and extending the ends of the filler into core build-up so as to form an integrally formed core to which a crown can be mounted.