Community Magazine December 2013

DR. JACQUES DOUECK B ut there is one more part of the exam. We take out the Diagnodent ™ laser, and the laser reading shows that although on the surface we see nothing, there are two big cavities. If we had waited another few months, Joe would have certainly needed a root canal. In the past, a sharp dental explorer was the only way to diagnose early cavities on the biting surface of back molars, and we thought this was “as good as it gets.” Not until we experience the new advances do we realize how good it could be. Laser diagnostics allows us to see below the surface. If a dentist relies only on the explorer, it is very easy to miss decay or actually place sealants over areas of decay. Today, the Intra-Oral magnification camera, digital X-rays and the Diagnodent ™ Laser has proven to be far more accurate at finding and confirming cavities. In a study conducted by Dr. Lussi of Berne University, Switzerland, general practitioners using the explorer correctly diagnosed hidden biting surface cavities in only 57 percent of all cases. The same group achieved a remarkable success rate of 90 percent with a magnification camera, digital X-rays and the Diagnodent ™ . Dentistry and Cellphones People don’t realize how good it could be. To get a sense of how much things have changed in dentistry, let’s compare dentistry to cellphones. When cellphones first came out, they were basically used just for emergencies, because they were expensive and not very user- friendly. A cell phone weighed 10 pounds and came in a briefcase. You had to pull out the antenna and stick it on the window outside your car, and it had to be plugged into the cigarette lighter for power. At the time, we thought, “This is as good as it gets.” Obviously, cell phones have come a very long way since then. The same is true of cavity detection. In the past, you had to sit there for 15 minutes while the dental assistant dipped the films in water and wait for X-ray film to develop. Now, a dental digital X-ray (radiography) system can take a picture of your teeth, and then immediately show it to you on a computer monitor, while you are in the dental chair. The on-screen picture will look like a dental X-ray image – but a lot bigger. Your dentist can zoom in on a single tooth, rotate it, sharpen it and colorize it, all to aid in a more accurate diagnosis. Plus, digital X-rays use 90 percent less radiation than in the past. Today we understand that cavity diagnosis is more complex and technically challenging than we originally thought. And with diagnostic lasers and digital X-rays, we take much of the guesswork out of detecting tooth decay. Now we can stop guessing and make a definitive diagnosis using the Diagnodent™ Laser, digital X-rays, intraOral cameras and high power magnification. Today the standard of care in dentistry is easier, faster, and much better! Joe, age 37, comes in for a checkup. Joe is proud to tell us he has never had a cavity in his life. We check his X-rays and examine his teeth on the videomonitor with a 40X camera. Everything looks great. Digital Dentistry – As Good as it Gets Dental Explorer (pik) attempting to detect dental decay. Note that the tip is too small to reach the decay. The decay will not be detected until the cavity is much larger. Same area and size of decay being detected with the DIAGNOdent. The cavity may be treated while the decay is still very small. 90 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE