One of the most critical steps in a root canal is cleansing the tissues to prevent reinfection. Sometimes, this can be tricky. However, a new type of treatment, ozone therapy, has proven very effective in treating root canals, and in some cases, preventing the need for them through the use of tooth extraction. Please continue reading for more information on this innovative technique that may help you avoid a root canal.
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What Is Ozone?
Ozone is both a man-made and a naturally-occurring gas that’s comprised of three oxygen atoms. It can have both positive and negative benefits, depending on its application.
What Is Ozone Therapy?
Ozone therapy is used in many alternative medicine applications as a disinfectant as well as for various treatments. Although not yet approved by the FDA, it’s a popular treatment protocol for dentists and alternative medicine practitioners. It’s minimally invasive and considered to be a conservative approach to many dental therapies, because it:
- Accelerates healing
- Activates immune response
- Aids in extractions
- Can be used for endodontic treatments
- Controls bad breath
- Controls infection or reinfection
- Controls pain
- Prevents periodontal disease
- Prevents cavities through disinfection
- Prevents root canals
- Remineralizes teeth
- Whitens teeth
How Does A Dentist Use Ozone Therapy?
One of the problems with root canals is ensuring that the canal is completely free of bacteria that can cause reinfection. Ozone therapy completely cleans the canal, which helps to prevent the growth of residual bacteria. Smile Angels uses ozone therapy for both tooth extractions and root canals because it reaches areas that could not otherwise be disinfected. Since ozone is a gas, it can penetrate even the tiniest crevices in your teeth and gums and sterilize them. This ensures that you’ll not develop a reinfection that can be both costly and painful. Ozone gas will kill bacteria on contact but it won’t harm your tissues, and it’s safe to use for most people. If you have an auto-immune disorder or an ozone allergy, be sure to inform your dentist.
How Does Ozone Therapy Affect Treatment Time?
Usually, treatment time is lessened when we use ozone therapy, but it depends on the type of treatment you’re having and its complexity. We know, however, that there’s considerably less likelihood of reinfection when we use ozone therapy to disinfect the site.
Is Ozone Therapy Safe?
At Smile Savers, we use only methods that we consider to be safe for our patients, and we wouldn’t contemplate using a technique that would adversely affect our patients.
Is Ozone Therapy Painful?
Ozone therapy is painless. It’s used primarily as a disinfectant and to alleviate pain, and it has few to no adverse effects.
How Do You Use Ozone Therapy With A Root Canal?
One of the significant problems with root canals is the propensity for reinfection when the patient has a deep infection. There are many areas that typical disinfection methods can’t reach, and this provides an ideal environment for the regrowth of any residual bacteria.
Ozone therapy will immediately begin to disinfect the root canal site, and we’ll place a temporary seal on the site that will enable the ozone to permeate all areas of the tooth and gum. This will kill any residual bacteria and ensure that the site is as clean as possible for the gutta-percha filling.
When a root canal doesn’t seem to be the best solution for a decayed tooth, we may extract the tooth and use ozone therapy to forestall further decay.
Who Decides The Best Treatment For Me?
When you come to our office for your initial consultation, your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth and discuss your options. They’ll recommend the best option for you, but the final decision, of course, is yours. Ozone therapy provides some of the most effective long-term results for tooth extraction and root canals.
If You Have A Decayed Tooth…
If you have a decayed tooth and think you need a filling, an extraction, or a root canal, then call Smile Savers. We’re one of the best cosmetic dentists in the Los Angeles area. With more than two decades of experience in the field of holistic dentistry, you can be assured of receiving the best holistic dental treatments we can provide. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at (301) 201-9001.