San Antonio Ultrasonic Instrumentation

At Oak Hills Endodontics, we use ultrasonic instrumentation to perform quicker, more efficient root canal treatment or retreatment with a lower risk of root canal failure. The goal of endodontic treatment is to leave the tooth’s interior free of debris that can host bacteria. In some cases, the root canal system can have complexities that make it difficult to fully clean. Ultrasonic instrumentation can help us deal with those complexities:

• Calcifications present in the canal
• Small, undetected branching canals near the apex of the tooth
• The presence of a broken instrument fragment in the canal

How Ultrasonic Instrumentation Works

An ultrasonic instrument is powered by sound waves. These waves move at a high frequency—20,000 oscillations per second—and generate a powerful force. These waves can dislodge impediments in the canal and can reach tiny branching canals. Some ultrasonic tools are magnetostrictive, while others are piezoelectric. These distinctions relate to the source of the ultrasonic vibrations. Practically speaking, magnetostrictive ultrasonic tools vibrate in an elliptical motion, while piezoelectric files vibrate in a linear motion. Both types are effective.

Advantages of Ultrasonic Tools

Ultrasonic hand tools accommodate a number of tips, which come in various shapes and produce different effects. Used in conjunction with root canal microscopy, ultrasonic instruments allow Dr. Janse, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Rayyan, and Dr. Bates to clean the root canal thoroughly while saving more of the tooth’s healthy structure, improving its long-term survival prospects.

Ultrasonic tools are useful for other applications, such as:

• Removing broken instruments. Sometimes a file will break during root canal therapy. Ultrasonic tools are especially good at extracting foreign bodies like broken files, and they can make the difference between successful retreatment and the need for endodontic surgery.
• Cleaning irregularly shaped canals. An ultrasonic file cleans the tooth interior by dislodging any debris it contacts. Additionally, just the presence of the ultrasonic file passively cleans the canal, removing debris from the tooth’s inner walls without directly touching them, thanks to the power of high-frequency vibrations.

Read more about Oak Hills Endodontics’ in-office technology here. To make an appointment with Dr. Janse, Dr. Bates, Dr. Rayyan, or Dr. Thompson, please call our office at 210-342-2444. You can also fill out our appointment request form, and we will call you.