Cutting down errors in root canal procedures

the star
BY LOH FOON FONG

Revolutionary: Dr How showing three cross sections from a set of teeth using dental imaging at the Imperial Dental Specialist Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR: A new revolution in dental imaging is allowing root canal procedures to be carried out on patients with less errors and complications, said experts.

Consultant in orthodontics, implantologist and laser dentistry Datuk Dr How Kim Chuan said a patient might still experience persisting pain after a root canal treatment due to limitations of regular X-ray.

“One of the four root canals could have been missed out in the X-ray, and hence treatment. However, with the digital technology, it is very unlikely to miss out on anything,” he said.

Dr How said a dentist using the latest ima­ging technology could look at a whole set of teeth and jaw structure in three dimension as well as zoom in onto the section of the tooth needing the implant.

“I will be able to rotate the image 360° and do slices of the images and see what I want to see and measure bone quality or density – all from just one exposure,” he said.

For X-ray, another re-take would have been necessary for a more detailed image, added Dr How.

Detailed information was important because it would determine the size of the implant, the best technique to be used based on the bone density and how it should be placed, he said.

“The implant surgery will take only 10 mi­nutes compared with a one-and-a-half hour of surgery because we are so prepared with details from the imaging,” he said.

Dr How, who is also International College of Dentists (ICD) Section XX Asia president, said the use of digital diagnostic tools in dentistry was still low in the country despite giving more detailed images and accurate diagnosis than regular X-rays.

It is estimated that only 20% to 25% of some 5,000 dentists in the country are using the technology.

Since many dentists do not know how to use the technology, Dr How said he wanted to introduce this during his keynote lecture at the ICD Section XX International Scientific Conference and Trade Exhibition at the Aloft, Kuala Lumpur Sentral on March 29.

On March 28, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai would also confer the ICD Award of Honorary Fellowship with president citation to Bina Puri Holdings Bhd group mana­ging director Tan Sri Tee Hock Seng.

For more information call Wong at 012-686 1801 or Chan at 012-522 6053.