Do you want to know if your teeth have any “cavities in hiding”?

Agnes Kumar, DDS

Locating hidden decay before it destroys tooth structure (from the inside out) is a major goal for modern dentistry. The widespread use of fluoride supplements in dental materials, toothpastes and drinking water has made tooth surfaces harder and more resistant to decay. However, diagnosing cavities beneath the hard surfaces is more challenging because the disease process can start through microscopic defects in the hard surface enamel and can readily spread into the softer tooth structure beneath the surface.

X-rays and probing with an explorer are limited in detecting sub surface decay, particularly when the decay is in its early stages.

Early tooth decay doesn’t usually hurt. So diagnosis is crucially important.

One of these early detection devices, developed in Europe and introduced in the United States in 2000, is the DIAGNOdent® Laser Cavity Detection System.

         

The DIAGNOdent laser beam seeks out cavities beneath healthy tooth structure

It’s a quartz-tipped probe (approximately pen-sized) that’s scanned across the teeth with a rocking motion, beaming a wavelength of pulsed light into each crevice, nook, and cranny on the surfaces. The aim is to identify areas of decay by measuring reflected light. The more a tooth – or a spot on the tooth – reflects light, the greater the decay. This light reflection is measured both in numbers and in an audio signal. The higher the number (ranging from 0 to 99) and the higher the pitch, the deeper the decay.  DIAGNOdent targets the unseen decay for the dentist. What’s more, this “low power” diode laser (not unlike the lasers in CD players and laser pointers) is entirely safe and radiation- free. It doesn’t require protective goggles.

 DIAGNOdent reveals both early decay and spots that show potential decay. This gives the option for early intervention, stopping decay process before it reaches the point of no return, which is the dentin lying beneath the tooth’s surface enamel. Or, if it’s already reached the dentin layer, the part of the tooth that needs to be removed can be minimized, preserving precious tooth structure.

How can you benefit from having DIAGNOdent used during your (or your child’s) dental examination?

·       It’s designed for “probing” the tricky grooves and fissures of the biting surfaces without the need for a sharp explorer.

·       It lets the dentist know if decay is active and progressing.

·       It confirms whether preventive measures, such as sealants, are working effectively.

·       If the cavities detected are small enough, the filling can be done with “air-abrasion”… no needle injection!