Published on June 28, 2018, Updated on June 28, 2018
Laser cavity detection is transforming the dental experience of thousands of patients across the United States. Do you hate being numb or hearing a dental drill in your mouth during a cavity treatment? If so, you don’t have to have either of these in the dental office if you choose laser dentistry! This is a drill-free (and virtually pain-free) way to get your cavities filled with little or no anesthesia. We can detect and treat tooth decay using focused beams of gentle laser light. Find out how the process of laser cavity detection and treatment works with laser dentistry!
Fluoride is widely used in dental offices across our nation and does an amazing job at keeping tooth enamel strong, drastically reducing the incident of tooth decay in our country. But, the amazing tooth-enamel-strengthening power of fluoride also makes detecting cavities more difficult.
Dentists typically use an explorer tool to poke at and in your teeth to look for soft spots indicating decay. Tougher enamel, literally, makes it tougher for dentists to diagnose early-forming cavities inside your tooth.
Kids love magic wands, and the DIAGNOdent laser is one of the favorites in our office! This pen-like wand seeks out decay hiding on the surface teeth, seemingly in plain sight, but undetectable by the naked eye.
Why do we love the DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection technology? It’s safe, pain free, and offers improved accuracy over x-rays and traditional methods.
Using the principle of lightwave reflection, DIAGNOdent uncovers cavities with how the tooth reflects the applied light. A healthy tooth allows light to pass through with minimal refraction. When a cavity is present, the light will be reflected. The amount of light reflection helps us estimate the size of the cavity.
DIAGNOdent has been approved for the detection of dental cavities (caries) by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association. The NY Times reports that more than 20,000 dentists in our nation are now turning to the power of DIAGNOdent for detecting cavities.
One of the most amazing advantages of laser cavity detection is its ability to find cavities hidden inside the tooth enamel. External cavities are easy to spot, but internal cavities are often missed until they are bigger problems–not so with DIAGNOdent treatment!
The many benefits of laser cavity detection can’t be denied. “A recent study found one device caught 93% of early caries, the dental term for tooth decay, compared with 27% for X-rays,” reported the Wall Street Journal. Not all cavities detected by laser cavity detection have to be treated, but when your dentist knows they are there, he can watch them and safeguard the health of your teeth and smile.
DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection offers these unique eight advantages over traditional cavity detection:
DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection supports our mission at Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics to offer our patients state-of-the-art services you can trust with expert care. This tool helps us focus on prevention, tooth preservation, and treatment accuracy. With tools like these, patients experience less anxiety during exams and treatment. Call us today at (303) 223-0403 to make an appointment.