Most patients are familiar with traditional methods of cavity detection. When thinking of how cavities are discovered, many imagine the dentist probing with a dental explorer and taking digital or bite-wing X-rays. While these methods can be successful in detecting up to 80% of decay, they still allow for cavities to hide in the mouth. These methods also can’t detect defects in your tooth enamel or cavities that are smaller than the tip of the dental explorer.
Laser Technology for Efficiency
DIAGNOdent is a fluorescent laser, specifically designed for cavity detection beyond the surface of the tooth, meaning your cavities can be discovered much earlier and with more accuracy. DIAGNOdent is a painless device that works by emitting light onto a tooth. The tooth reflects the light energy in different ways depending on whether decay is present. If decay is detected, the natural tooth will emit fluorescence proportional to the amount of decay within that tooth.
How does the process work?
If your dental health professional is to use DIAGNOdent during your appointment, you can expect them to first obtain a benchmark reading by placing the laser onto the enamel surface of a healthy tooth. This allows the technology to build a baseline for how healthy dentition reads. Following that, the laser is placed on various areas where decay is suspected. As the laser reflects light, it is measuring the wavelength and electronically evaluating the likelihood of decay based on that measurement.
Does it work on every tooth?
DIAGNOdent is intended to be used on natural, unrestored teeth. This means teeth with cosmetic devices or those with prior fillings won’t get an accurate reading. That aside, it’s important to note that DIAGNOdent is meant to be used in conjunction with traditional cavity detection methods. It should not be considered a replacement for X-rays and use of a dental explorer.
Schedule an Appointment in Simi Valley Today!
At Jerold D. Guss, DDS, we take pride in using the latest technologies to deliver more accurate and reliable results. If you’re curious about DIAGNOdent and want to learn more, schedule an appointment in Simi Valley today. Our team looks forward to welcoming you to our practice.