Being told to come back several more times for root canal treatment was a burden in itself.
Now about a minute of plasma sterilization makes
root canal treatment short and comfortable.
Seongmo Dental Clinic has introduced Plazen RCT®, a plasma endodontic device launched in May 2023. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by discharging plasma into a water-filled root canal chemically break down bacteria and biofilm even in the fine crevices and lateral canals that a file can't reach.
Sungshin Univ. Seongmo Dental Clinic Plasma Root Canal Treatment (Plazen RCT®)
We fill the canal with water and discharge plasma, breaking down bacteria even in fine crevices instruments can't reach with reactive oxygen species — this is a root canal treatment device.
Sungshin Univ. dental plasma root canal treatment —
what does this device actually do?
Plazen RCT® plasma endo fills the root canal with water and discharges plasma into it, using the resulting reactive oxygen species (ROS) to break down bacteria and biofilm — this is the root canal treatment device. Seongmo Dental Clinic operates this device in-house and applies it during canal disinfection.
Root canal treatment removes remaining bacteria and infected tissue from a tooth's nerve canal and seals that space to save the tooth. The problem is that the canal isn't one simple visible passage — it's a complex structure with lateral branches (accessory canals) thinner than a hair and fine crevices. Mechanical cleaning with a file and disinfectant alone struggles to fully reach these corners.
Plazen RCT® plasma endo, which Seongmo Dental Clinic has introduced, approaches this limitation differently. When the canal is filled with water and a special tip discharges plasma into it, reactive oxygen species (ROS) form in the water and break down bacteria and biofilm even in areas instruments can't reach, through oxidation. Seongmo Dental Clinic, near Sungshin Women's University Station, runs this process in about a minute.
Plasma Endo Core Technology
Overwhelming Sterilizing Power and Precision — Underwater Plasma & Reactive Oxygen Species
A Dramatic Reduction in Treatment Time
Minimal Post-Treatment Pain, Comfortable Recovery
Plasma root canal treatment moves from cleaning only where instruments can reach, to chemically disinfecting even where they can't — that's the shift in standard this device represents.
Plasma —
how does it get rid of bacteria?
Discharging plasma into the water filling the canal generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which oxidize and destroy bacterial cell membranes and biofilm. Because it works through the liquid as a medium, the disinfecting effect reaches curved sections and lateral branches that instruments can't touch.
Biofilm is a state where bacteria hide inside a sticky film they've made themselves, giving it high resistance to disinfectants and making it a major cause of root canal treatment failure. The reactive oxygen species created by plasma oxidize and break down both this film structure and the bacterial cell membrane.
Also, since plasma handles disinfection, reliance on soaking in disinfectant for a long time or aggressively widening the canal with a file can be reduced. Treatment proceeds at low temperature, so there's less thermal damage burden on the tissue around the tooth.
Retreatment · Difficult Cases
Improving Success Rates in Retreatment and Difficult Cases
Territory Disinfectant Alone Couldn't Solve
Disinfecting where instruments can't reach, with the power of chemistry— that's the principle behind plasma endo.
Root Canal Treatment —
how many times do I need to come in?
Seongmo Dental Clinic reduces disinfection time to about a minute with rapid plasma sterilization, and when clinically appropriate, proceeds all the way to same-day canal filling (one-day endo), minimizing the number of visits.
Conventional root canal treatment usually required multiple visits for disinfection and monitoring. Repeating anesthesia and opening/closing temporary material each time adds up to more time and burden for the patient.
Because plasma disinfection is intensive and quick, more cases can now plan disinfection and filling within a single visit. That said, for severe acute inflammation, a large periapical lesion, or complex canal anatomy, treatment is still divided into multiple visits for safety.
How Treatment Proceeds
01 — Diagnosis · 3D CT Check
02 — Painless Anesthesia · Canal Access
03 — Plasma Disinfection (About 1 Min)
04 — Canal Filling · Restoration Plan
What's shortened is the time — not the treatment steps.
Why Plasma Root Canal Treatment
Favors Preserving Natural Teeth
Since plasma handles cleaning and sterilization, mechanical widening of the canal via file can be minimized, lowering the risk of fracture from a thinned tooth wall and helping preserve the natural tooth longer.
It's not uncommon for a tooth that had root canal treatment to crack years later. This happens because widening the canal with a file to let disinfectant reach deep enough thins the tooth wall. Plasma disinfection reduces this reliance, allowing only as much removal as necessary.
Plazen RCT® plasma endo is expensive equipment, priced at ₩38 million. To give patients a more successful last chance at saving their precious natural teeth, Seongmo Dental Clinic provides this advanced treatment at the standard National Health Insurance root canal rate, with no extra charge.
Post-Treatment Care
Why a Restoration Is Needed After Root Canal Treatment
We Check Occlusal Adjustment Too
Faster, cleaner, and more comfortable — this is next-generation root canal treatment that saves your tooth.
Conventional Root Canal Treatment vs. Plasma Root Canal Treatment
| COMPARISON | Conventional Root Canal Treatment | Seongmo Dental Clinic Plasma Endo |
|---|---|---|
| Disinfection Method | Disinfectant (NaOCl) rinsing | Underwater plasma + reactive oxygen species (ROS) |
| Fine Crevices/Lateral Canals | Limited instrument/solution reach | Chemical breakdown via ROS diffusion |
| Disinfection time per visit | 15+ minutes | About 1 min |
| VISITS | Multiple disinfection visits | 1 visit when case qualifiesVaries by case |
| Canal Widening | Relies on mechanical widening | Minimal Removal |
| Cost | National Health Insurance root canal | Same insurance rateNo extra charge |
Suitability and number of treatments vary by canal structure and degree of inflammation, and are explained after precise diagnosis.
Plasma Root Canal Treatment — Glossary
- Root Canal Treatment
- A treatment that removes infected tissue and bacteria from a tooth's nerve canal and seals that space to preserve the tooth.
- Plazen RCT®
- A root canal treatment device that generates reactive oxygen species via underwater plasma discharge in the canal to break down bacteria and biofilm. Launched May 2023.
- Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
- A strongly oxidizing oxygen compound. Disinfects by destroying bacterial cell membranes and biofilm.
- Biofilm
- A colony of bacteria surrounded by a sticky film they produce, resistant to disinfectants. A major cause of canal reinfection.
- Lateral Canal
- A fine branch passage splitting off from the main canal, physically difficult for instruments to access.
- One-Day Endo
- A root canal treatment approach that completes everything from disinfection to canal filling in one day when the case qualifies.
- E. faecalis
- A resistant bacterium frequently detected in failed retreatment cases.
Sungshin Univ. Plasma Root Canal Treatment — FAQ
Doesn't plasma root canal treatment hurt?
Treatment itself is done after anesthesia, and Seongmo Dental Clinic controls pain from the anesthesia step itself with i-ject computer-controlled painless anesthesia and Quicksleeper intraosseous anesthesia. Also, thoroughly removing bacteria and debris inside the canal reduces the residue pushed past the root tip, lowering the burden of post-treatment pain.
Can root canal treatment be finished in one day?
Since plasma disinfection takes about a minute, same-day canal filling (one-day endo) is possible when clinically appropriate. That said, for severe acute inflammation or a large periapical lesion, treatment is divided into multiple visits for safety.
Is plasma root canal treatment more expensive?
Seongmo Dental Clinic applies plasma endo at the standard National Health Insurance root canal rate, with no extra charge. Costs for any restoration needed after root canal treatment, such as a crown or endocrown, are advised separately based on material and case.
Can a tooth that already had root canal treatment be retreated?
Yes, it's also used for retreatment. Reactive oxygen species target resistant bacteria like E. faecalis, which is frequently detected in recurrence cases, addressing causes of reinfection that disinfectant alone couldn't solve. That said, the possibility of preserving the tooth still depends on remaining tooth structure and root condition.
Isn't plasma harmful to the body?
Dental plasma endo discharges at low temperature within the water inside the canal, acting locally. Treatment is confined inside the tooth, and the device is operated as a licensed medical device following the manufacturer's protocol.
Can I get plasma root canal treatment at any dental clinic?
Plazen RCT® is operated at over 400 dental clinics nationwide. Seongmo Dental Clinic, near Exit 2 of Sungshin Women's University Station in Seongbuk-gu, has this device in-house and applies it to root canal treatment and retreatment.
References — Authoritative Medical Sources
Related Treatment Info
- All Advanced Equipment (Sungshin Univ.)
- Seongmo Special Care · Saving Natural Teeth
- General Dentistry · Cavities/Root Canal/Scaling
- Implants (Sungshin Univ.)
- Same-Day Restorations (Seongbuk-gu)
- Non-Covered Fee Guide
Root canal treatment outcomes can vary depending on remaining tooth structure, canal anatomy, and degree of inflammation, and whether same-day treatment is possible also depends on the case. Treatment method should be decided after a precise diagnosis and thorough consultation with your provider.