Photos provided by Gary Jackson.
Endodontics Can Jump Start a GP Practice
COLUMBUS, OHIO - The introduction of endodontic
tools has the potential to expand your range as a dentist
as well as boost your bottom line, according to Garry Bey,
DDS, who lectured on this topic during the Updates in
Contemporary Dentistry Meeting recently.
Dr. Bey said that recent advancements in endodon-
tics and handpieces, such as rotary instrumentation,
has “revolutionized the world of endodontics, and has
made it accessible to practitioners of all skill levels.”
Dr. Bey began his discussion by providing an over-
view of the goal of endodontics, saying, “The goal is to
give the body the best possible chance to fight off bac-
teria by mechanically removing as much bacteria and
debris as possible.”
He advised those in the audience to look for perfor-
mance and ergonomics when selecting handpieces, and
noted specifically the KaVo COMFORTdrive, which he
said features precise cutting performance in a lighter,
shorter, and quieter handpiece.
Getting Started
Dr. Bey said on the day of his procedures, he anes-
thetizes the patient, prepares the proper access, and then
creates a path. He then uses the LightSpeed LSX, from
Discus, which he said enables him to create root canal
preparations that thoroughly clean without unneces-
sarily removing root structure. He said LightSpeed’s
unique, nontapered design assures him that the canals,
which are oval in shape and can be difficult to com-
pletely clean, are properly instrumented.
Photo credit: Picture America
Dental Learning
Photo credit: Picture America
Final Irrigation
Once the instrumentation is complete, Dr. Bey ad-
vises final irrigation with Discus Dental’s EndoVac
system. Dr. Bey cited data demonstrating that many ir-
rigation techniques are effective at cleaning root canals
coronally, but significantly less effective apically.
Peer-reviewed research has EndoVac is completely
safe, kills 100% of bacteria, and can result in signifi-
cantly less postoperative pain for the patient than cur-
rent systems, Dr. Bey said. EndoVac pulls irrigant deep
into the canal and evacuates it safely through a com-
bination of cannulas, avoiding the risk of extruding
sodium hypochlorite beyond the apical foramen. It en-
ables safe irrigation to full working length, allowing the
dentist to reach the critical 3 mm to 4 mm that are often
left untouched, Dr. Bey said. After all instrumentation
is complete, the EndoVac is inserted to full working
length, where its 12 micro-suction holes pull irrigant all
the way to the apical constriction and create a vortex-
like cleaning of the apical third.
More Options, Better Results
Summarizing his presentation, Dr. Bey said that the
combination of new high-performance handpeices, cou-
pled with the LightSpeed technique for apical enlarge-
ment, facilitates effective irrigation with EndoVac. He
noted that safety and efficacy are the key elements of all
of these products, and that every dentist should consider
incorporating them into their practice. —Colleen Platt
Garry Bey, DDS is in private practice in New
Jersey, specializing in Endodontics. He graduated from
Syracuse University with a BS in Biology and received
his DDS from New York University College of Dentistry.
Currently National Board Eligible, Dr. Bey is a member
of the American Association of Endodontists, American
Dental Association, New York State Dental Associa-
tion, New Jersey Dental Association, and he is the Past
President of the Rockland County Dental Society.
Dr. Bey reports receiving an honorarium from Discus.
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