Root canal treatments often fail due to persistent infections and need many visits to the dentist. A new method of detecting bacteria during root canal treatments could eliminate the need for a follow-up with the dentist.
This method was developed by researchers at King’s College London and the study related to it was published in the Journal of Dental Research. The device created by the researchers called SafeRoot device enables rapid bacterial detection inside the root canal, ensuring the procedure is successful, the researchers said.
The SafeRoot device uses fluorescent dyes and fluorescence microscopy to detect minute amounts of residual live bacteria in the root canal space. During the trial the researchers were able to successfully detect bacterial cells after three minutes of testing.
Root canal treatment is a dental procedure used to treat infection at the centre of the tooth of the root canal system, while trying to retain as much of the natural tooth as possible. About a quarter of all root canals fail over time due to secondary infections, and most procedures require one or two visits to the dentist. Often, after the infected tooth material is initially removed, dentists have to check for infections with each appointment and sometimes drill to remove other portions of the tooth. Resilient bacteria and complex root canal structures make disinfection challenging, said Francesco Mannocci from the Dental Institute at King’s College London.
