Richard Charon

Richard Charon
Hello I'm Richard Charon. Welcome to my dental practice blog

05 January 2007

Laser Tooth Decay Detector
A Stitch in Time ....... !

Since undertaking a short trial of the latest laser tooth-decay detector called Diagnodent™, we are proud to announce that you could benefit from this new development at your next examination or hygienist visit.



For the more technically curious can find out more from by clicking this link which is really aimed at dentists. Diagnodent™

I will be preparing some information leaflets for you to see at your next visit

In recent years the pattern of tooth decay that dentists see has changed. Fluoride toothpastes and mouthwashes have greatly reduced decay on the visible smooth surfaces of teeth. However we are finding "hidden" decay below the biting surfaces of teeth which can be hard to spot.


If the cavity is big enough, then the dentist can see a change of colour of the tooth structure.
Also if an x-ray image is taken, a medium or large cavity will be spotted.

However with today's much less invasive techniques and bonded tooth-coloured fillings, it makes good sense to spot tooth decay at the earliest stages and not wait until pain occurs or there is an obvious hole; By this time the tooth has been seriously affected.

The Diagnodent™ is a neat and very small unit which uses laser technology to detect changes in the tooth structure which are too small to be seen with the naked eye or which could be mistaken for surface stains that occur from tea, coffee and red-wine for example as well as other highly coloured foods. These are harmless and do not require any sort of filling work. If the unit signals a definite reading then a minimal style, invisible mending repair can often be done, sometimes without even numbing the tooth.

This is an exciting new develpment which will be used both by Nicky Smith, our Dental hygienist and by myself.

Please ask for more details

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