Apparatus and methods for cleaning teeth and root canals
Various systems, method, and compositions for treating a tooth are disclosed herein. For example, an apparatus for treating a tooth is disclosed. The apparatus can include a chamber having an access port which places the chamber in fluid communication with a treatment region of the tooth when the chamber is coupled to tooth. A fluid motion generator can be coupled to the chamber. The fluid motion generator can be configured to direct fluid across the access port to generate fluid motion in the chamber. In various embodiments, fluid motion (e.g., vortices, swirl, etc.) can be induced at or near treatment regions of the tooth, such as a root canal or carious region.
1 . An apparatus for treating a tooth, the apparatus comprising:
a chamber to be positioned against a tooth;
a fluid motion generator coupled to the chamber and configured to generate a rotational motion of fluid in the chamber; and
a suction port having a distal-most plane exposed to the chamber and communicating with the chamber to remove fluid from the chamber,
wherein when the chamber is positioned against the tooth, the fluid motion generator is positioned outside the tooth.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to generate the rotational motion about an axis transverse to a central axis of the chamber.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to generate the rotational motion about a central axis of the chamber.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to clean a treatment region at or near an exterior surface of the tooth, and wherein the chamber is configured to couple to the tooth over the treatment region.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a flowable obturation material, and wherein, when activated, the fluid motion generator is configured to fill a treatment region of the tooth with the flowable obturation material.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises an access port configured to provide fluid communication with the tooth, and wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to direct fluid in a direction substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the access port.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to pass a stream of the fluid across an access port of the chamber.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the access port defines a proximal-most plane, and wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to pass the stream of fluid substantially parallel to the proximal-most plane.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured such that the momentum of the stream is in a direction substantially parallel to the proximal-most plane.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is further configured to generate acoustic waves through the fluid having energy sufficient to substantially clean the tooth.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator comprises a liquid jet device.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a reservoir to supply a degassed liquid to the chamber.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to generate acoustic power having multiple frequencies.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to generate acoustic power having a substantially white noise distribution of frequencies.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is disposed near a wall of the chamber between the wall and an access port of the chamber.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to generate a chaotic fluid flow in the chamber.
17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid motion generator is configured to generate a swirling flow in the chamber with an axis of rotation of the swirl substantially aligned with a central axis of the chamber.