A New Method for Detecting Dental Cavities -- Laser Light Finds Decay

Today, dental cavities can be found before they turn into a future toothache. Patients are really very lucky. There have been so many advances in dentistry that the goal of life long dental health is now a reality. For example, we can now find tooth decay much sooner using a laser which can "see" inside the tooth and give us a digital readout. It is a great benefit to be able to treat tooth decay before it has a chance to destroy the tooth from the inside. This will result in many more teeth staying healthy for a much longer time. When dental cavities are found with the laser light in their early stages, the teeth will have fewer problems down the road and will be of service much longer.

Almost everyone is affected by dental cavities in one form or another. The grooves and fissures in teeth are especially prone to decay because plaque and food debris become trapped and cannot be effectively cleaned, also, very often the enamel is open at the bottom of the groove which allows bacteria to enter the tooth.

The old method of finding dental cavities was to poke the the groove with a sharp instrument to see if it sticks. When it did, the tooth would be opened to remove the decay, and very often, a large hole in the tooth was the result. This happened because the decay had spread inside the tooth and was not detectable until it was large and starting to make the tooth soft. Fortunately today, we have new technologies that can find decay much sooner.

One of these new devices is called the Diagnodent. This laser scanner detects an increase in fluorescence when the teeth have decay, verses healthy teeth which do not fluoresce much. A digital readout gives a score which can be interpreted by the dentist. Decay can be found long before it is visible on the x-ray. It can then be restored very conservatively with a bonded tooth colored filling to seal it up and preserve the bulk of the tooth. When treated this early, teeth will be healthier and last longer.

Another lucky break for dental patients is that along with earlier detection, there are advanced treatment methods that can repair teeth without the need for anesthesia in many cases. Air abrasion uses tiny particles to blast away decay. Newer lasers can remove decay using water. Patients really love when these techniques can be used without having to get a shot.

Look in your own mouth to see if you have brown stains in the grooves of your teeth. It may only be stain, or it could be decay slowly eating away at your tooth. The laser scanner can help find the answer. We now have a way of monitoring these areas and treating them before they get large. With the new techniques for comfortably treating decay and the long term benefits to the health of the tooth, there is no reason not to let your tooth "see the light"--the laser light of the Diagnodent early dental cavity detection system.

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