How does a microsope help with a root canal?

Has your dentist ever told you that he or she can't do this root canal and sent you to an endodontist?  Often they will say...they have a microscope which will help them find the canals!  This is true!  The microscope allows us to see deep inside the tooth and find little branches or canals that are hard to find.  Here is a demonstration of the 6 different magnifications that I work with.

 

Above is a dollar image taken with a camera and no magnification.  Imagine that you are looking into a tooth trying to find canals the size of Washington's pupil.

 

 

 

Above is the dollar image taken with the lowest magnification on the microscope.  Remember to look at Washington's eye

 

 

 

 

 

The above magnification is where I do most of my work and then go to higher magnification in specific instances.

 

 

 

Here is the highest magnification.  As you can see it is much easier to find a canal the size of Washington's pupil at a higher magnification.

 

 

The microscope has changed endodontics and allows us to find canals that we couldn't have found before.  I can't imagine working without one!