DIAGNOdent for early cavity detection

In the past, a dentist would identify cavities through radiography or in a visual examination of the teeth.

New technology gives the best dentists in Flower Mound an opportunity to detect cavities much earlier, when they are much smaller. DIAGNOdent uses lasers to pinpoint areas of decay.

DIAGNOdent is particularly helpful in spotting cavities that are hidden away from the occlusal, or biting, surfaces of the teeth. Cavities can develop in the tooth’s interior, and DIAGNOdent can detect such cavities at very early stages.

The design of the DIAGNOdent system takes advantage of certain properties of healthy enamel and decayed enamel. Specifically, the system relies on the different wavelengths at which healthy and decayed enamel reflect the laser.

The dentist uses a laser probe to scan the entire tooth surface. First, a healthy tooth is scanned to obtain a baseline. Then, the dentist will proceed to scan the rest of the teeth, and the system quantifies the reflected light energy to determine if fluorescence is present.

A healthy tooth exhibits no fluorescence, but when decay is identified, the DIAGNOdent system registers fluorescence. As areas of decay get larger, more fluorescence is detected.

The advantages of such early cavity detection are obvious. Most importantly, stopping the cavity in its tracks keeps the decay from spreading elsewhere in the tooth or to adjacent teeth.

It’s also easier to fill cavities when they are smaller. The dentist will be able to preserve more of the biological tooth material.

The hidden cavities that are DIAGNOdent’s target have become more common now that more patients have access to fluoride, reducing the frequency of surface cavities. Decay has gone under the surface.

Early cavity detection can save a tooth and prevent a variety of other oral health problems, and dentists can use a variety of methods for this purpose. Patients should take advantage of DIAGNOdent to catch certain cavities early and ward off the consequences that will arise from advanced decay.