Gutta-percha is the purified coagulated exudate from the Palaquium gutta tree, commonly called the “mazer wood” tree, of the Burma and Malay archipelago.
Brief History of Gutta-Percha in US Dentistry
Gutta-percha has been used since the late 1950s in traditional US dentistry practice for gutta-percha points, otherwise known as GP points. It has since been produced in the US as a material compounded from balata, a nearly identical latex to gutta-percha. Balata is derived from the Mimusops Globsa tree of South America.
Gutta-percha points
Gutta-Percha’s Chemical Composition
The says, “Both gutta-percha and natural rubber are high molecular weight stereo-isomers of polyisoprene. Natural rubber, cis-polyisoprene, exists with its —CH2 groups (the chain-forming links between the individual isoprene units) on the same side of the double bond; while gutta-percha, trans-polyisoprene, exists with its —CH2 groups on opposite sides of the double bond. Gutta-percha exists in two crystalline forms, the naturally occurring alpha form and the beta form found in most commercial formulations. Dental gutta-percha points are reported to contain approximately 19–22 percent gutta-percha, 1–4 percent plasticizing waxes and resins, 59–75 percent zinc oxide, 1–17 percent metal sulfates for radiopacity and trace amounts of organic dyes for coloration.”
We Use Gutta-Percha for Root Canal Therapy
During root canal therapy, your canals are sealed with gutta-percha because of its rubber-like material that we can heat up and conform into the inner canal space.
We've all been to the dentist's office and wondered what all the terminology means. Some common terms may include fillings, crowns, and root canals. But have you ever heard of gutta-percha? We'll help you understand what gutta-percha is used for and the pros and cons to consider before heading to your root canal procedure.
Gutta-percha is a material used to fill a tooth after a root canal procedure. Gutta-percha, a plastic substance from a Malaysian tree called a percha tree, is used as a permanent filling in root canals. During the root canal procedure, the tooth's damaged area, known as the pulp, is removed, and the tooth's canals are cleaned out and disinfected before being filled and sealed. Gutta-percha is the thermoplastic filling material heated and compressed into the tooth's canal, then sealed with adhesive cement.
Pros and Cons
ProsThere's a common misconception that gutta-percha causes allergies due to its similarity to latex, but this idea is misguided. Gutta-percha is generally accepted as a very safe-to-use filling material.
Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages associated with gutta-percha.
- Gutta-percha may not hold as strong with some restoration methods.
- It can be more challenging to see vertical root fractures when your tooth has previously been filled with gutta-percha.
Talk with your dentist or endodontist for more information on how gutta-percha can affect your dental health.
Everyday Oral Care
Ideally, it's best to keep your teeth healthy enough to avoid needing a root canal in the first place. This is possible with a good oral care routine at home. Your routine should include brushing at least twice a day, complemented by regular flossing or cleaning between your teeth with interdental brushes or water flossers. Lastly, don't forget to schedule regular cleanings with your dentist or dental hygienist to keep your mouth healthy and clean.
Gutta-percha is a tree of the genus Palaquium in the family Sapotaceae. The name also refers to the rigid, naturally biologically inert, resilient, electrically nonconductive, thermoplastic latex derived from the tree, particularly from Palaquium gutta; it is a polymer of isoprene which forms a rubber-like elastomer.
The word "gutta-percha" comes from the plant's name in Malay: getah translates as "latex" and percha (perca) means "scrap" or "rag".
Description[edit]
- gutta trees are 5–30 metres (20–100 ft) tall and up to 1 m (3 ft) in trunk diameter. The leaves are evergreen, alternate or spirally arranged, simple, entire, 8–25 cm (3–10 in) long, glossy green above, and often yellow or glaucous below. The flowers are produced in small clusters along the stems, each flower with a white corolla with four to seven (mostly six) acute lobes. The fruit is an ovoid 3–7 cm (1–3 in) berry, containing one to four seeds; in many species, the fruit is edible.
In Australia, gutta-percha is a common name specifically used for the euphorbiaceous tree Excoecaria parvifolia, which yields an aromatic, heavy, dark-brown timber.
Chemistry[edit]
Chemically, gutta-percha is a polyterpene, a polymer of isoprene, or polyisoprene, specifically (trans-1,4-polyisoprene). The cis structure of polyisoprene is the common latex elastomer. While latex rubbers are amorphous in molecular structure, gutta-percha (the trans structure) crystallizes, leading to a more rigid material. It exists in alpha and beta forms, with the alpha form being brittle at room temperature.
Uses[edit]
Historic[edit]
Long before Gutta-percha was introduced into the Western world, it was used in a less processed form by the natives of the Malaysian archipelago for making knife handles, walking sticks, and other purposes. The first European to discover this material was John Tradescant, who collected it in the far east in 1656. He named this material "Mazer wood". William Montgomerie, a medical officer in imperial service, introduced gutta-percha into practical use in the West. He was the first to appreciate the potential of this material in medicine, and he was awarded the gold medal by the Royal Society of Arts, London in 1843.
Scientifically classified in 1843, it was found to be a useful natural thermoplastic. In 1851, 30,000 long cwt (1,500,000 kg) of gutta-percha was imported into Britain. During the second half of the 19th century, gutta-percha was used for many domestic and industrial purposes, and it became a household word. Gutta-percha was particularly important for the manufacture of . Indeed, it made them possible. It does not degrade in seawater and is a good electrical insulator. These properties, along with its mouldability and flexibility made it ideal for the purpose. There was no other material to match it in the 19th century. The use in electrical cables generated a huge demand which led to unsustainable harvesting and collapse of supply.
Electrical[edit]
Gutta-percha latex is biologically inert, resilient, and is a good electrical insulator with a high dielectric strength.
Michael Faraday discovered its value as an insulator soon after the introduction of the material to Britain in 1843. Allowing this fluid to evaporate and coagulate in the sun produced a latex which could be made flexible again with hot water, but which did not become brittle, unlike rubber prior to the discovery of vulcanization.[citation needed]
By 1845, telegraph wires insulated with gutta-percha were being manufactured in the UK. It served as the insulating material for early undersea telegraph cables, including the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The material was a major constituent of Chatterton's compound used as an insulating sealant for telegraph and other electrical cables.[citation needed]
The dielectric constant of dried gutta-percha ranges from 2.56 to 3.01. Resistivity of dried gutta-percha ranges from 25 x 1014 to 370 x 1014 ohm-cm.
Since about 1940, polyethylene has supplanted gutta-percha as an electrical insulator.
Other[edit]
In the mid-19th century, gutta-percha was used to make furniture, notably by the Gutta Percha Company, established in 1847. Several of these ornate, revival-style pieces were shown at the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London. The company also made a range of utensils.
The "guttie" golf ball (which had a solid gutta-percha core) revolutionized the game. Gutta-percha was used to make "mourning" jewelry, because it was dark in color and could be easily molded into beads or other shapes. Pistol hand grips and rifle shoulder pads were also made from gutta-percha, since it was hard and durable, though it fell into disuse when synthetic plastics such as Bakelite became available.
Gutta-percha was used in canes and walking sticks. In 1856, United States Representative Preston Brooks used a cane made of gutta-percha as a weapon in his attack on Senator Charles Sumner.
In the 1860s, gutta-percha was used to reinforce the soles of football players' boots before it was banned by The Football Association in the first codified set of rules in 1863.
The wood of many species is also valuable.[citation needed]
Today[edit]
Art[edit]
Gutta-percha is used as a resist in silk painting, including some newer forms of batik.
Dentistry[edit]
The same bioinertness that made it suitable for marine cables also means it does not readily react within the human body. It is used in a variety of surgical devices and during root canal therapy. It is the predominant material used to obturate, or fill, the empty space inside the root of a tooth after it has undergone endodontic therapy. Its physical and chemical properties, including its inertness and biocompatibility, melting point, ductility, and malleability, make it important in endodontics, e.g., as gutta-percha points. Zinc oxide is added to reduce brittleness and improve plasticity. Barium sulfate is added to provide radiopacity so that its presence and location can be verified in dental X-ray images.
Substitutes[edit]
Gutta-percha remained an industrial staple well into the 20th century, when it was gradually replaced with superior synthetic materials such as Bakelite, though a similar and cheaper natural material called balatá was often used in gutta-percha's place. The two materials are almost identical, and balatá is often called gutta-balatá.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
- Natural rubber
- Gutta-percha Boy, a 1957 Soviet drama film
References[edit]
- B.K. Sharma, Industrial Chemistry, p. 1117, Krishna Prakashan Media, 1991 ISBN 8187224991
- ^ Alamgir, A. N. M. (23 June 2018). Therapeutic Use of Medicinal Plants and their Extracts: Volume 2: Phytochemistry and Bioactive Compounds. Springer. p. 183. ISBN 978-3-319-92387-1.
- Text Book of Endodontics. Elsevier India. 2009. p. 186. ISBN 978-81-312-2181-5. ^ Harvey Wickes Felter and John Uri Lloyd. "Gutta-Percha-: An Untold Story. Prakesh et al. ~2001 Endodontology". King's American Dispensatory.