A History of Proven Efficacy

The patient presented with biting and palpation tenderness localized to tooth #19 with a draining sinus tract. Probing 12+ mm to the distal apex posed a prognosis challenge. The endo-perio lesion is a condition characterized by the association of periodontal and pulpal disease in the same dental element. Diagnosis, prognosis and treatment planning are complicated due to the influence of pulp pathology, which may cause periodontal involvement and vice versa.

Pulpal diagnosis was necrotic pulp with an apical diagnosis of chronic apical abscess. The GentleWave^® Procedure gave me the confidence to complete disinfection and finish treatment in a single visit. Re-evaluation in four weeks demonstrated resolution of the sinus tract and probing depths. At three months, this case demonstrated nearly complete osseous regeneration of previous low-density areas.

“The resolution of symptoms is one factor. However, the ‘early healing’ I am seeing in my practice with the GentleWave^® Procedure is extraordinary.”

Upon post-operative radiographic examination, multiple lateral canals within the apical third of the palatal and distobuccal canals as well as an isthmus between the mesiobuccal canals were visualized. Upon contact with the patient three days post-operative, the patient reported no discomfort.

A 74-year-old male presented with intense pain and buccal swelling on tooth #30. His general dentist prescribed antibiotics. Upon examination, buccal swelling remained, and his pain had decreased from severe to moderate. The tooth was nonresponsive to cold and sensitive to percussion. The diagnosis was necrotic pulp with acute apical abscess.

"In a single visit, the GentleWave^® Procedure thoroughly cleaned the three mesial canals with three separate exits and multiple distal canal paths which joined into a common exit. Furthermore, the furcal bone loss seen in the radiographs might have misled us into suspecting a cracked tooth. Instead, we saw how the lateral canal on the mesial surface of the distal root caused this furcation radiolucency, thereby avoiding condemning this tooth to a potentially unnecessary extraction."

Six months post-op, the periradicular bone appeared to have completely healed. The patient resumed active orthodontic treatment. This case illustrates the power of a single-visit GentleWave® Procedure in effectively cleaning and disinfecting the root canal system and promoting rapid healing.

In a single visit, 4 canals were prepared to an apical diameter of #20. The GentleWave^® Procedure was used to clean and disinfect the canals. Following obturation, a previously undetected fifth canal orifice in the apical third of the palatal root was revealed. The patient’s symptoms were relieved, and healing was visible three months post-procedure.

A 66-year-old male patient was referred by his restorative dentist for evaluation and potential treatment of tooth #31. The patient presented with an existing all-porcelain crown placed two weeks prior. Examination and findings were consistent with a pulpal diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis. Projection radiographs as well as limited FOV CBCT were acquired. Conservative orifice-directed access exposed vital pulp tissue in the root canal system. In a single visit, endodontic treatment was initiated and the root canal system was prepared for the GentleWave^® Procedure using 14/.03 and 17/.04 V-Taper™ 2H files. Obturation consisted of single non-standardized gutta-percha cones in each canal and sealer.

"With the cleaning ability of the GentleWave^® System, I was able to treat this vital pulp in a single visit, something that I may not have been able to do predictably with traditional endodontics. Postoperative radiographs showcased significant accessory root canal system anatomy, especially in the apical one third."