Vital pulp therapy

• US 6,319,007 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gus J. Livaditis
• Original Assignee: Gus J. Livaditis
• Inventors: Livaditis, Gus J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUMGARNER, MELBA N
• Application Number:
  US09/624,116
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 433/224, 433/215, 433/32
• US Class Current: 433/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1402 Probes for open surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/40 Implements for surgical treatment of the roots or nerves of the teeth; Nerve needles; Methods or instruments for medication of the roots

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for hemostasis of dental pulps. The methods include treating a dental pulp using bipolar electrocoagulation to control the bleeding of the dental pulp.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the bleeding in an exposed dental pulp in a patient performing bipolar electrocoagulation of said pulp.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said electrocoagulation is performed with a two-point bipolar electrode.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said bipolar electrode is a fixed parallel dual-prong (FPDP) electrode.

4. The method of claim 1 in which said electrocoagulation is performed with a coaxial bipolar electrode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrocoagulation is performed using an apparatus for bipolar electrocoagulation of dental pulp comprising a bipolar electrode connected to a low power electrosurgical unit.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising an electronic timer attached to said electrosurgical unit which regulates the duration of the power supplied to said electrode.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said bipolar electrode is a coaxial electrode which limits coagulation to the surface area of the tip of said electrode.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said timer enables minimal and prescribed coagulation of pulp by the application of microsecond impulses of power to said pulp.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising application of resin to said pulp.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said resin is color-coded.

9. A method for creating a coagulated tissue layer on the surface of an exposed dental pulp in order to reconstruct the pulpal wall comprising exposing said pulp to bipolar electrocoagulation.

10. The method of claim 9 in which said electrocoagulation is performed with a two-point bipolar electrode.

11. The method of claim 9 in which said bipolar electrode is a fixed parallel dual-prong (FPDP) electrode.

12. The method of claim 9 in which said electrocoagulation is performed with a coaxial bipolar electrode.