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Services Provided - Diagnodent
Detecting Occlusal Caries
Conventional methods of diagnosing dental caries such as manual probing and radiographic evaluation are often ineffective in detecting enamel defects, as they may be too small or inaccessible to the diagnostic tool. Additionally, manual probing has the potential of stimulating caries due to the iatrogenic damage caused by the explorer. Radiographs (eg, bitewing x-rays), although effective in revealing advanced stages of decay, are unsuccessful in detecting early caries, especially in the complex anatomy of fissure areas. Fortunately, with the advent of the DIAGNOdent as well as the use of traditional protocols, dental clinicians can now successfully detect the presence of occlusal decay and properly treat the tooth structure as necessary. All though significant advances (eg, improved oral hygiene, fluoridated water supply) have been made in caries prevention, occlusal pitand- fissure decay still remains a major concern. Research indicates that, while 80% of caries lesions occur in the occlusal anatomy, a significant percentage of these lesions go virtually undetected using conventional protocols.
Laser Fluorescence for Caries Detection
The DIAGNOdent measures laser fluorescence within tooth structure. As the incident laser light is propagated into the site, two-way handpiece optics allows the unit to simultaneously quantify the reflected laser light energy. At the specific wavelength that the DIAGNOdent laser operates, clean healthy tooth structure exhibits little or no fluorescence, resulting in very low scale readings on the display. However, carious tooth structure will exhibit fluorescence, proportionate to the degree of caries, resulting in elevated scale readings on the display of the DIAGNOdent. The measurements from the DIAGNOdent, along with conventional diagnostic tools and the clinician’s professional judgment, aid dental professionals in determining whether to monitor suspect areas over time and treat with preventative therapy or restore the infected dentin with minimally invasive techniques.
Link to DIAGNOdent site.