April 10, 2004

By: Joy Athwal
Website: http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com

Laser Dentists – Laser Helps Dentists Find Decay

Believe it or not, as much as 50% of tooth decay may go undetected by traditional dental methods of probing and other diagnostic techniques. But the secret destruction of your teeth could be a thing of the past with the emergence of a new laser called a DIAGNOdent, which aids dentists in diagnosing hidden decay more accurately and confidently.

While the device has been in use in Europe for several years, the FDA has recently approved the use of the cavity-detecting laser for use by dentists in the U.S.

Here's how decay can go undetected. With the widespread use of fluoride, the very nature of tooth decay has changed. The outer surfaces of teeth are strengthened and more resistant.

Today, most tooth decay starts in the hard-to-see valleys and canyon-like anatomy of the tooth surface. There, an almost indetectable area of decay can aggressively penetrate inward towards the soft surfaces of the tooth and literally destroy the tooth from the inside out.

This can happen before a cavity is even visible to the naked eye. This method of decay can make diagnosis with traditional methods difficult, because the outer tooth surface often appears to be intact.

Enter the DIAGNOdent, which scans the cleaned tooth surfaces with a harmless laser beam. A small countertop unit emits an audio signal and registers a digital read-out, which identifies cavities developing below the surface - the higher the amount of fluorescence detected by the machine, the greater the degree of decay within the tooth.

cause the decay is detected earlier, the number of dental procedures - and hence, the cost - can often be reduced. It's a great way to keep little problems from becoming big problems. Monte Carlo, an Atlanta radio personality and client recently stated, I have a really low tolerance for pain and I never felt a thing, it was truly amazing.

Scientific research and the experience of dentists has shown the DIAGNOdent to have a high level of reliability, and with an energy level similar to that of a laser pointer, the laser beam is harmless to surrounding tissues. Dr. Debra Gray King, a noted cosmetic dentist and faculty instructor at the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, uses the DIAGNOdent laser as a routine part of exams. Our hygienist uses it much like she would a periodontal probe or intra-oral camera, she says.

She tells the patient that she will be using a laser to determine the presence of decay. The patient holds the DIAGNOdent and listens and watches as the numbers and sound increase when decay is present. She then uses the intra-oral camera to show the patient what the decayed tooth looks like. This is just one of the many recent 'gee-whiz' advances in today's dentistry that advances the dental health of our patients in a comfortable way.

Author Notes:

Joy Athwal contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com.  Everything you need to know to get a whiter, brighter smile!