Dr. Ralf Schlichting, Endodontic Specialist
The focus of modern dentistry is to preserve patients’ teeth, preferably for their entire life time. In the pursuit of this goal, endodontics has the decisive role of prognostic therapy for teeth that have already been damaged by a pulp complex infection. Particularly significant scientific and technical progress has been achieved in the field of endodontics in the last few years. The establishment of pulpitis or apical periodontitis as part of the further development of the disease is always linked to the presence of bacteria in the complex root canal system. The bacteria may be freely movable in planktonic form, i.e. in the tissue fluid. However, a large number of different bacterial species is organized in a much more complex structure: the biofilm. The biofilm is a conglomerate of different bacterial species that are connected by an extra-polysaccharide matrix, which the bacteria species involved build themselves. This biofilm stubbornly adheres to the surface and is always proven to be present in the advanced stages of infections of the canal system.