Dental Cavities Detected Early with our
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Diagnodent - Early Dectection of Dental Cavities

Our dental office now has a simple, fast and painless dental examination using the DIAGNOdent, a harmless laser scanner, which will help us with the early detection of dental cavities. With this laser dental treatment even very small lesions are now detected at the earliest stage, enabling us to protect and preserve your teeth and smile.

Diagnodent Laser Cavity Detection System

The Diagnodent laser cavity detection system is the most significant breakthrough in diagnosing tooth decay since the dental x-ray. With the widespread use of fluoride in both drinking water and toothpastes, it is much harder to detect tooth cavities than ever before. This is because the fluoride hardens the enamel so that most tooth decay starts in microscopic defects in the hard surface, and can readily spread into the softer surface beneath. This destroys the tooth from the inside out.

The Diagnodent dental laser system is a pen-like probe that sends a safe, painless laser beam into the tooth and checks its health. A number scale and an alarm will signal when there are signs of hidden dental cavity. This allows us to determine if decay is lurking beneath the apparently healthy tooth surface. This dental laser technology allows us to catch tooth cavities at an earlier stage, before the tooth is destroyed from the inside out. This dental laser cavity detection will help prevent more extensive dental procedures.

A) Traditional Tooth Decay Model

Caries attack begins in the enamel with demineralization and cavitation. Easily diagnosed visually, with sharp explorers or radiographs.

B) New Tooth Decay Mode

Enamel does not cavitate because of protection from fluoride. Caries begins in dentin through fissures, pits, fractures, and enamel pores. Difficult to diagnose with traditional dental methods.

Our continuing education has kept us at the forefront of current laser dental treatment modalities. We also believe that new arising dental technologies are just as important to integrate into our high level of dental care. We know that our patients place a high value on healthy and attractive teeth. In order to maintain healthy, cavity free teeth, the earliest possible dental care is essential.

How Diagnodent Laser Cavity Detection Works

The Diagnodent laser device measures laser fluorescence within tooth structure. As the incident laser light is propagated into the site, two-way handpiece optics allows the unit to simultaneously quantify the reflected laser light energy. At the specific wavelength that the dental laser device operates, clean healthy tooth structure exhibits little or no fluorescence, resulting in very low scale readings on the display. However, carious tooth structure will exhibit fluorescence, proportionate to the degree of caries, resulting in elevated scale readings on the display.

The laser device is designed as an adjunct to a traditional oral examination in the detection of occlusal decay. Teeth that are suspicious for caries are ideal candidates for survey with the Diagnodent laser device.

The above picture shows how the Diagnodent laser cavity detection can find cavities that other dental instruments can miss. Altered tooth substances and bacteria fluoresce when they are exposed to a specific wavelength of light.

The DIAGNOdent operates at a wavelength of 655 nm. At this specific wavelength, clean healthy tooth structure exhibits little or no fluorescence, resulting in very low scale readings on the display. However, carious tooth structure will exhibit fluorescence, proportionate to the degree of caries, resulting in elevated scale readings on the display of the DIAGNOdent.

An audio signal allows the operator to hear changes in the scale values. This enables the focus to be on our patient, not solely on the laser detection device.

Diagnodent laser cavity detection is ver 90% accurate:

Proportion of "correct diagnoses" using various dental diagnostic methods (in the case of seemingly intact occlusal - biting surfaces).

In a study conducted by Dr. Lussi of Berne University, Switzerland, dentists correctly diagnosed hidden fissure areas by visual inspection in only 57% of all cases. The same group achieved an impressive success rate of 90% with the DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection device. In fact, DIAGNOdent was far more accurate than any other dental method in the study including bitewing x-rays (flossing x-rays) .