Patent ID: 7980854

Claim:
A method for treating a root canal in a tooth containing a crown portion extending to above a gum line and an elongate root integral with and projecting from the crown into the gum and an adjacent jaw bone, the root having a root canal containing pulp including nerve and other tissue in open communication with a pulp chamber in the crown, the method comprising: forming an opening in the crown into the pulp chamber dimensioned to enable working access to the root canal of said root for treatment thereof, removing pulp from said pulp chamber to provide an open area therein to gain access to pulp in said root canal, introducing liquid into at least said open area in said pulp chamber in an amount sufficient to provide a liquid reservoir, the upper level of which rises to an immersion level, providing a laser system containing a source of a laser light beam and an elongate optical fiber connected to said source and configured to transmit said laser light beam to a tip portion thereof, said tip portion containing a tapered tip tapering to an apex with a surrounding conical wall, substantially the entire surface of which is uncovered so that said laser light beam is emitted therefrom generally omnidirectionally, substantially completely immersing at least said tip of said laser into said liquid reservoir, and pulsing said laser source at a power level of from about 0.1 W to about 1.5 W and at a pulse duration of from about 100 nanoseconds to about 1000 microseconds, at a pulse frequency of from about 2 Hz to about 25 Hz, and for a cycle time of from about 10 to about 40 seconds, wherein at least a substantial portion of the pulp in said pulp chamber and root canal is disintegrated into pulp material in admixture in and with said liquid and removing said liquid mixture containing said pulp material from the opening in the crown, rinsing, irrigating, and disinfecting said pulp chamber and root canal so as to provide substantially clean and substantially pulp-free dentin walls lining said chamber and root canal ready for filling, obturating said pulp chamber and root canal with a suitable filling material, wherein disintegration of pulp using the laser is accomplished without generation of any significant heat in said liquid so as to avoid elevating the temperature of any of the dentin, tooth, or other adjacent tissue more than about 5° C.