The well-known methods to treat a decayed tooth are by dental filling and root canal treatment. Laser tooth disinfection is being widely adopted by many dentists for tooth decay off late. But does this mean that laser tooth disinfection and filling (Laser tooth filling) can completely eliminate the need to do root canal treatment for a decayed tooth?

The answer is “No”. Let us study the reasons in detail.

When does a dentist opt for a Laser tooth filling?

Usually, both conventional dental filling and laser dental filling is used to treat mild to moderate levels of tooth decay only. In a Laser tooth filling process, the dentist uses lasers to remove decay within the tooth and prepares the surrounding enamel for filling. Generally, the dentin decay or decays that have not progressed into the root canals of the tooth can be saved using Laser Dental filling or a normal dental filling. In a laser dental filling, the laser-focused on the filling helps it cement to the tooth.

When does a dentist opt for Root Canal Treatment?

Dentists usually recommend Root Canal Treatment for patients with severe tooth decay where the decay has progressed to the root canal. The primary goal of every dentist while examining a decayed tooth is deciding how to salvage the damaged tooth. In a Root Canal Treatment, the dentist will access the root canal of the tooth, remove the infected pulp and disinfect the root canals using irrigation methods. The cleaned root canals are filled with an inert material known as ‘Gutta Percha’ and the opening of the tooth is filled and sealed. A new crown is cemented over the tooth as a final process.

Sometimes the pulp present in the root canals of a tooth will get infected and an abscess will form in severe tooth decay. Under such circumstances, too Root canal treatment is done, following which the abscess is drained.

Conclusion

Hence root canal treatment serves badly decayed teeth where the decay has reached the root canal whereas the tooth filling is done only for decay that lies superficially on the teeth surface but the root remaining intact. Also, it needs to be understood that a Laser is just a tool that helps in effectively disinfecting the root or removing the decay. Hence laser tooth disinfection and filling (Laser tooth filling) cannot eliminate the need to do root canal treatment for a badly decayed tooth.