FINDING DECAY THE EASY WAY
One of the most important things we do for our patients is identify and fill cavities. Since any spot of decay can threaten the integrity of an entire tooth, detection is key to preventing a host of potential problems. Lengthy poking and probing sessions have been an acceptable part of dental exams for years. However, such methods of decay detection are only 50-75 percent successful. Cavities can hide along biting surfaces and crevices in your teeth. Further, mechanical exploratory methods are limited to finding only those cavities that are equal to or larger than the probe head. To make the process more comfortable and comprehensive, we use DIAGNOdent, a revolutionary dental laser that finds cavities in the earliest stages that might otherwise go undetected.
LASER REFLECTION SPOTS IMPREFECTION
DIAGNOdent technology uses a laser diode to inspect the integrity of your tooth structure. As it pulses into grooves, fissures and cracks of suspicious areas, the laser reflects fluorescent light of a specific wavelength that is converted to an acoustic and numerical signal displayed on a screen. The reflected wavelength is compared against a healthy baseline wavelength to uncover hidden decay. Any variation from the healthy baseline value stimulates emission of a different wavelength and alerts us of a weakened area of enamel. Not surprisingly, this technology quickly and precisely identifies decay in its earliest form so we can monitor suspicious areas and provide shallower and simpler fillings that preserve more tooth structure for those areas requiring treatment.