What is Gutta Percha, and how will it benefit dentists?
Dental problems involve different types, and they need proper solutions. Tooth cavity is a common issue in most people that will affect them in various ways. It is mainly caused by bacteria, saliva, acidity, and the accumulation of food particles. Some symptoms caused by tooth cavities include pains, tooth sensitivity, visible holes, black or white staining, etc. The treatments for tooth cavities include fillings, root canals, and crowns. They provide methods to improve teeth conditions with the best results.
What is Gutta Percha?
A root canal treatment requires one or more visits and Gutta Percha is a natural latex that helps to fill and seal the canal. GP is mainly made from Palaquium trees which are grown throughout Southeast Asia. It comes in solid and runny forms which cater to the needs of dentists while performing a root canal procedure. Dentists will experience more advantages when using GP which helps to ensure the best outputs. Endodontists use GP as a filling for the opening left after a root canal procedure because of its ability to become soft or hard with temperature changes. Some of the physical forms of GP include Solid core GP points, cold flowable GP, Thermo plasticized GP, and Thermomechanical compactable GP.
How to use a GP in a root canal procedure?
- Cold lateral compaction
- Warm lateral compaction
- Single GP point and sealer
- Vertical compaction
- Ideal for permanent sealing
A lateral compaction technique refers to filling the root canal with GP points sideways against the canal walls. In cold lateral compaction, an oral surgeon compacts GP points laterally that offer solutions for an incomplete filling in areas that are difficult to reach and require low-cost equipment.
A warm lateral compaction is a simple modification to a cold lateral compaction which involves applying heat to GP points. This will make them softer and allows dentists to meet exact needs in the compact process. Another thing is that it provides methods to perform a compact procedure for filling without any hassles.
An oral surgeon requires a single point and sealer while using a higher tapered cone to fill the opening. Although the procedure is simple, sealers can dissolve often which leads to leaks from the filling. The single GP point and sealer are suitable for custom-fitted cones when the oral anatomy requires special attention.
GP can flow fairly well into the canals when it comes to Beta manifestation. Vertical compaction can make the filling procedure effective by addressing the essential needs of dentists.
Oral surgeons can use the diadent GP points which have high radiopacity and they help to locate the GPs inside canals and assess the overall seal before completing the restoration. A combination of GP points with a root canal sealer allows dentists to ensure permanent sealing that helps prevent the re-occurrence of endodontic pathologies. Furthermore, the diadent GPs enable dentists to make a case-by-case assessment of their preferred obturation method with high accuracy.