Patent ID: 7320598

Claim:
A method for treating a tooth following an endodontic procedure comprising: providing a tooth that has been cleaned by an endodontic procedure and that includes an access hole drilled into and extending through the crown of the tooth that provides access to at least one root canal of the tooth; mixing together initially separate parts of a multipart endodontic composition to form a mixed composition which is initially flowable and suitable for placement into a root canal during a root canal procedure and which hardens over time, the mixed composition initially including: a polymerizable resin portion including an adhesive resin that is at least one of an alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate and capable of bonding to dental tissue found within a root canal; at least one chemical initiator which causes at least a portion of the polymerizable resin portion to polymerize over a period of time; and at least one polymerization photoinitiator which, upon irradiating at least a portion of the mixed composition with radiant energy, causes accelerated polymerization and hardening of at least a portion of the polymerizable resin portion; introducing the mixed composition into the at least one root canal of the tooth so that the mixed composition fills the root canal and fills at least a portion of the access hole, and providing a surface of the mixed composition that is exposed within the access hole; irradiating with radiant energy said exposed surface of the mixed composition in order to accelerate polymerization and hardening of at least an upper portion of the mixed composition so as to provide a hardened surface of the mixed composition to which a composite filling material can be immediately chemically bonded or adhered; and filling the access hole with a filling material.