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Press Kit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 22, 2002
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dan King or Irene Chen at 404.847.9033
Laser Helps Dentists Find Decay
It's Painless And Much More Thorough Than Traditional Techniques
Atlanta, GA. Believe it or not, as much as 50% of tooth decay may go undetected by traditional dental methods of probing and other diagnostic techniques. But the secret destruction of your teeth could be a thing of the past with the emergence of a new laser called a DIAGNOdent, which aids dentists in diagnosing hidden decay more accurately and confidently. While the device has been in use in Europe for several years, the FDA has recently approved the use of the cavity-detecting laser for use by dentists in the U.S.
Here's how decay can go undetected. With the widespread use of fluoride, the very nature of tooth decay has changed. The outer surfaces of teeth are strengthened and more resistant. Today, most tooth decay starts in the hard-to-see valleys and canyon-like anatomy of the tooth surface. There, an almost indetectable 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. This method of decay can make diagnosis with traditional methods difficult, because the outer tooth surface often appears to be intact.
Enter the DIAGNOdent, which scans the cleaned tooth surfaces with a harmless laser beam. A small countertop unit emits an audio signal and registers a digital read-out, which identifies cavities developing below the surface - the higher the amount of fluorescence detected by the machine, the greater the degree of decay within the tooth. Because the decay is detected earlier, the number of dental procedures - and hence, the cost - can often be reduced. It's a great way to keep little problems from becoming big problems. Monte Carlo, an Atlanta radio personality and client recently stated, "I have a really low tolerance for pain and I never felt a thing, it was truly amazing."
Scientific research and the experience of dentists has shown the DIAGNOdent to have a high level of reliability, and with an energy level similar to that of a laser pointer, the laser beam is harmless to surrounding tissues. Dr. Debra Gray King, a noted cosmetic dentist and faculty instructor at the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, uses the DIAGNOdent laser as a routine part of exams. "Our hygienist uses it much like she would a periodontal probe or intra-oral camera," she says. "She tells the patient that she will be using a laser to determine the presence of decay. The patient holds the DIAGNOdent and listens and watches as the numbers and sound increase when decay is present. She then uses the intra-oral camera to show the patient what the decayed tooth looks like. This is just one of the many recent 'gee-whiz' advances in today's dentistry that advances the dental health of our patients in a comfortable way."
The Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry is one of the first dental offices to get the new laser. Dr. Richard Creasman, of the ACCD, compares practicing dentistry without the DIAGNOdent laser to watching black and white TV, using a DOS computer system or a rotary telephone. "I am already a better dentist because of it, and my patients know it," he says. "I am amazed at the accuracy of detecting cavities and decay that we have experienced so far."
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