Root canal treatment is a dental procedure for removing infection from a tooth. The purpose of it is to save a natural tooth rather than pulling out a tooth. It is only indicated when the pulp of a tooth is irreversibly inflamed or infected. Traditionally, the inflamed pulp or bacteria is removed using mechanical instruments and the root canal system is then cleaned and disinfected with chemical irrigation. Lastly, the root canal space is sealed with sealer. Below is an animated video of root canal treatment for your better understanding.

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Nevertheless, with the advancement of technology, we finally realized our root canal system is not a mere straight line as we thought. Thanks to the availability of micro-CT technology, we finally had a glimpse of how the root canal system in a natural tooth looks like. The following picture shows the 3D anatomy of root canal system in a tooth.

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As we can see in the picture, the complexity of root canal system makes it impossible to clean and disinfect the root canal system predictably with mechanical instrumentation because the instruments are not able to reach all those tributaries. Nonetheless, with the modern technology that is available now, there is a way to clean the root canal system effectively and predictably, and that is laser technology.​

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Er,Cr;YSGG laser is able to penetrate through the complex root canal system and it works by targeting water molecules and making them explode, creating 'tsunami' within the root canal system, thereby removing debris and smear layer from the canals. Bacteria are also exploded in the process because all cells contain water, thus the bactericidal effect. Whereas Diode laser disinfects by heat.  Following is an animated video on effect of Er,Cr;YSGG laser in root canal treatment.

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In conclusion, the best recommendation to save a irreversibly inflamed or infected tooth would be laser-assisted root canal treatment because laser can achieve better and predictable cleaning and disinfection compared to traditional techniques. With Dr Su's expertise on laser-assisted root canal treatment, he is able to complete the whole procedure in just one visit.