New microscope means easier root canals

Sitting in the endodontist's chair for a root canal isn't fun for anyone, especially children. But because children are prone to cavities and dental trauma, many do need root canals.

The Acton Center for Pediatric Dentistry at Children's has purchased a new tool to make root canals a little simpler for the endodontist and patient. The Zeiss OPMI Pico microscope allows the endodontist to locate small accessory canals in the tooth and locate fractures in the tooth and root structure. The technology improves visualization, enabling the endodontist to minimize the size of the surgical site, which reduces patient discomfort and healing time.

Performing this procedure in children can be challenging because the canals in their teeth are wider and have more orifices than adult teeth.

"There may be two or three canals you can't find with the naked eye," said Dr. Murat Ayik, DDS, an endodontic resident at Baylor College of Dentistry who treats special-needs children in the dental center at Children's. "The microscope enhances that, so the endodontic treatment is successful. Sometimes, if you don't use the microscope, you're not doing a full treatment because you're not finding the full canal."

Children's bought the microscope this past December. Since then, it has been used to treat six patients.