Gutta-percha pins in dentistry: photo, description

Problems with the teeth can be of a different nature, and there are many ways to solve them. Thus, gutta-percha pins can help in maintaining a tooth that is prone to destruction, strengthen the root, and thus enable you to refuse removal.

What are pins?

Teeth are destroyed for various reasons: tooth decay, non-compliance with hygiene, metabolic disorders, poor nutrition, mechanical injuries and chipped. A damaged tooth need not be removed, it can be restored. Even if there is only a root left, there is a way to restore it - dental pins. This construction, which is a rod, is fixed in the root canals and supports the restored tooth. There are times when the pin installation is the only possible solution. Indications for use:

• The crown part of the tooth is destroyed by 50% or more,
• The tooth is completely destroyed, but the root remains intact,
• Pin as support for a crown or other type of removable and non-removable prosthesis.

The pin reminds the shape and purpose of the implant. Here only implants are installed in the gum and jawbone, and the pin - into the root canals. Various materials are used for the production of pins: metal, ceramics, fiberglass, carbon fiber. For a century, gutta-percha pins have been used, which have not lost their relevance.

Gutta-percha as material for pins

Gutta-percha is produced by processing latex. This material is hard, but plastic, excellent for sealing the dental canals. At high temperature, the mass becomes soft and viscous, it fills not only the main channel, but also its branches, completely closing the passages. Treatment in this case is quick and with minimal risk of complications. The existing forms of gutta-percha are alpha and beta. Gutta-percha pins are made mainly of beta-form: it has a more suitable consistency.

Advantages and disadvantages of gutta-percha pins

In addition to its malleable, plastic form, which easily allows to completely fill the canals of the tooth, gutta-percha has several more pluses.

• It is well compatible biologically with tooth tissues.
• It has strength and at the same time elasticity.
• The material is non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
• When solidified, it takes the desired form.
• When worn for a long time, it is not erased, does not dissolve and does not break down.
• It is possible to extract material from the root canals, if necessary.
• Affordable price.
• On the x-ray, you can fully see the gutta-percha pin, the photo shows all the branches of the canals, which allows the dentist to evaluate the result of the treatment and, if necessary, to correct the deficiencies.

Do not lack gutta-percha pins and flaws:

• Gutta-percha has no adhesion to the hard tooth tissue.
• Does not possess bactericidal properties.
• It is difficult to install due to the high plasticity. In the receipt of a qualitative result, the professionalism of the doctor plays a huge role.

Features of gutta-percha pins

Gutta-percha pins in dentistry vary in size, they are large and small. They have a special number that indicates the thickness. According to the condition of the tooth and canal, the dentist determines what size and thickness to use the pin in a particular case.

They are also divided into standard and non-standard. Some are manufactured according to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards, others differ in form - they are thicker and shorter, with a narrowed tip.

Pins gutta-perchae 20% consist of beta-gutta-percha. The most part, about 75%, is the base of the pin, made of zinc oxide. The remaining 5% is ancillary components: dyes, plasticizers, as well as a substance through which the pin is clearly visible on the X-ray.

Methods of sealing. Cold gutta percha

Gutta-percha pins are used to fill root canals using two types of technology - work is carried out by hot or cold material. With hot sealing, the material is first heated and then placed in a channel. When the cold gutta percha is heated after its insertion into the root.

The filling of cold gutta-percha, in turn, can be performed in four ways:

• With one pin. It is used in conjunction with a special paste, which many dentists prefer to fill the canals. At the same time, paste is applied to the canal walls and a correspondingly sized pin is inserted, after which the excess part is cut with a hot tool. Since gutta percha is used in cold form, it is hard, and it penetrates into the canals of the tooth, to fill the latter serves as a paste.
• The method of lateral condensation. The pins are placed in the channels until they completely occupy the free space. Without the great skill and experience of the dentist, this can not be done, since with a poor quality of the pins, a root fracture can occur.
• Thermomechanical condensation. The technique is used quite rarely, it has many drawbacks. To fill the channel with pins, a rotating mechanism is used, which does not guarantee a qualitative result, so the risk of damage to the channels is high.
• Filling gutta-percha, softened by the action of chemical preparations. Previously, this method was used in dentistry, but now it is forgotten, since it has a lot of shortcomings.

Hot gutta-percha

What are hot gutta-percha pins? The description of this method is detailed below. Note that there are four options for this treatment:

• Injection method. The material is heated to 200 degrees, which leads to its liquid state, and injected into the channel. This method allows you to completely fill all the moves and branches. The technique is widely used in dentistry.
• Thermophile system. The modern method allows you to quickly and with the slightest effort to close all branches of the channel, even the smallest ones. Gutta-percha in liquid form is supplied under pressure through a special plastic rod. This method is also called volumetric.
• Vertical condensation. Gives the full integrity of the channels, but this process is complex and time-consuming.
• Feed the material with a syringe. The method is simple and fast, but does not guarantee full filling, moreover, gutta percha may not even reach the end of the channel, which will subsequently cause complications.