As a general dentist I love the fact that everyday I get to do a variety of procedures. Variety is the spice of life and I think that *really* applies to my professional path. It's even better when I get to try and test new techniques, products, and equipment along the way.
If I had been given the opportunity to specialize, I would have turned it down. I just love so many aspects of the profession, that I would not do well mentally if I had to do the procedure every day all day. However, with that being said, my favorite procedure is endodontic therapy. I mean, I really love doing root canals. If you're not in the profession that probably sounds weird, but to me they are like a puzzle that I love figuring out.
The thing I want to focus on today is irrigation. Using the right chemistry is intrinsic to long term clinical success. In the last 20 years we have seen incredible advances in the instrumentation side of endodontic therapy, but instruments only do about 1/2 of the work. You read that right, instruments only do about 1/2 of what needs to be done to ensure success.
I read a study recently from NIH that stated "57.8 - 68.8% of studied canal areas are unprepared by mechanical instrumentation". Think about that for a moment... if you aren't using the proper chemistry, the instruments only clean a portion of the canal. Those "unprepared" areas harbor bacteria that can cause continuing or recurring problems.
I will feature other Vista Apex irrigation products in future posts, but today's focus will be on the irrigant I normally reach for first when I'm performing endo... Chlor-XTRA™. It's a 6% sodium hypochlorite solution.
However, it's not just a standard solution. It also contains wetting agents and proprietary surface modifiers. Those special chemicals allow Chlor-XTRA™ to 'flow' down into the canals and get inside all those small little irregular surface areas that haven't been reached by instruments and they harbor bacteria. Those impossible to reach areas include lateral canals and isthmuses where a file won't reach no matter how hard you try.
Sodium hypochlorite actually *kills* pathogens and it is necessary to get the canal system as clean as possible. You can also ensure Chlor-EXTRA™ is well dispersed in those difficult to get to areas by using ultrasonic activation of the liquid through use of the cordless EndoUltra® unit. I'll be making a post about that device in the not too distant future.
There are a lot of companies in the industry that sell sodium hypochlorite products. However, they are not all interchangeable. When I sit down to perform endo, this is what I reach for. In my hands, this product has a proven track record of performing well.
If you are looking to up your game when it comes to endodontics, I truly think you should take a look at the products from Vista-Apex. Over the years, I've gotten to know many of the folks there pretty well and I can tell from firsthand experience that they are great people with really great products.
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