Diagnodent
Diagnodent is a new diagnostic tool that uses a small laser to detect areas of decay in the grooves of teeth. Traditionally, decay has been detected using a dental instrument - the presence of a "soft" area in the enamel is highly subjective. The Diagnodent standardizes the diagnosis by providing the operator a numerical reading that will coincide with the indication to treat or not treat.
What does the Diagnodent measure?
The Diagnodent uses a light similar to a laser pointer to measure laser fluorescence within the tooth structure. As the incident laser light is propagated into the site, the optics allows the unit to simultaneously quantify the reflected laser light energy. At the specific wavelength that the Diagnodent operates, clean healthy tooth structure exhibits little or no fluorescence, resulting in a very low scale reading on the display. However, carious tooth structure will exhibit fluorescence, proportionate to the degree of caries, resulting in elevated scale readings on the display.
Does Diagnodent eliminate the need for x-rays?
X-rays are an indispensable diagnostic tool for dentistry. X-rays and Diagnodent complement each other. X-rays are good at finding cavities between teeth and on the roots. Diagndoent is good at finding cavities on the tooth's biting surface.
How much does it cost?
Our office routinely uses the Diagnodent in areas that look suspicious during the Comprehensive Exam and subsequent periodic exams. We provide this service at no additional fee.
If you can't see decay with the naked eye, should I be concerned?
An almost undetectable 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.
What is the benefit for me?
Because the decay is detected early, more of the healthy tooth can be kept intact, the size of the restoration can be kept small, and cost can often be reduced. It's a great way to keep small problems from becoming big problems.