Apparatus and methods for treating teeth

Abstract

An apparatus for treating a tooth or gum tissue is disclosed. The apparatus can include a tooth cap for supporting a treatment device during a treatment procedure. The tooth cap can comprise a platform to support the treatment device. The platform can include an access port to provide a portion of the treatment device with access to a treatment region of the tooth or gum tissue. The tooth cap can also include a wall coupled with and angled relative to the platform, the wall configured to be attached to the tooth or gum tissue during treatment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for cleaning a tooth or gum tissue, the method comprising:
 disposing a treatment device near a treatment region of the tooth or gum tissue such that a portion of the treatment device is in fluid communication with a root canal of the tooth and an outer side surface of the tooth; and   activating the treatment device to substantially clean diseased regions of the root canal and at least one of undesirable dental deposits and a carious region from the outer side surface of the tooth.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the outer side surface comprises at least one of a proximal surface, a facial surface, and a lingual surface of the tooth. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising simultaneously cleaning the diseased regions of the root canal and at least one of undesirable dental deposits and a carious region from the outer surface of the tooth. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein activating the treatment device comprises activating the treatment device to substantially clean diseased gum tissue. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein activating the treatment device comprises activating a pressure wave generator to generate pressure waves at the root canal and the outer surface of the tooth. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming an access opening in the tooth and positioning a cap over at least the access opening and portions of the outer surface of the tooth that include the carious region or the undesirable dental deposits, the cap defining a cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising supplying a treatment fluid to the cavity, wherein the generated pressure waves propagate through the treatment fluid to the root canal and at least one of undesirable dental deposits and the carious region.