Diagnodent Laser Cavity Detection
Menasha, WI
 Cavities are a common dental issue that affects the oral health of millions of individuals of all ages from young children to seniors. Tooth decay and cavities often do not exhibit symptoms in the earliest stages, and therefore go unnoticed. Routine dental exams are important for the early detection of these issues so that prompt treatment can be provided. While we can detect many cavities in their earliest stages, some cavities develop below the surface of the teeth where they cannot be seen with the naked eye or with an x-ray. At Mid Valley Dental, we can detect these cavities with Diagnodent.
What are Cavities?
Plaque and bacteria are two substances that build up on the surfaces of your teeth. While natural, they can be quite harmful. This is why brushing and flossing are so important. These habits help to eliminate these substances. Both plaque and bacteria produce acids that, when left on the surfaces of your teeth, can begin to erode, or wear away, the tooth enamel. These weak spots eventually lead to the formation of small pits called cavities. Untreated, cavities continue to grow larger and deeper, issues that can compromise the strength of the affected tooth and put it at risk for developing a dangerous infection.
What is Diagnodent?
Diagnodent is a state of the art cavity detection technology that enables us to detect cavities in their earliest stages. It is used in conjunction with traditional detection methods, including visual inspection and x-rays. Looking over your teeth enables us to spot early signs of cavities on the visible surfaces of your teeth. X-rays help us to see cavities between your teeth. With Diagnodent, we can see cavities forming under the surface of your teeth, where neither of these other techniques can see.
How Diagnodent Works
Diagnodent is a fast, harmless technique that involves the use of a laser to detect the early warning signs of decay and cavities. The laser light emits a harmless beam of fluorescent light, which is used to scan your teeth. The fluorescent light hits your teeth and bounces back onto a laser diode. When your teeth are healthy, there is little to no fluorescent light returned. When decay is present, however, there are higher amounts of fluorescence sent back. The fluorescent light is translated into a number, which is shown on the base of the Diagnodent laser. The laser will also emit a sound to alert us to the presence of decay.
Diagnodent Benefits
Diagnodent provides many significant benefits:
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It only takes just a few minutes to scan your teeth.
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Scanning is completely painless. We do not need to poke or prod at your teeth. This can help patients who are fearful of dental treatments.
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The laser enables us to detect the earliest stages of decay and cavities below the surface of the teeth where they cannot be seen with the naked eye or with digital x-rays.
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By detecting cavities in their earliest stages, we can provide less invasive treatments. Fillings can be shallower, and we can preserve more of your natural tooth structure.
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Diagnodent is completely safe, using a harmless fluorescent light, and is the most effective tool for detecting cavities in your teeth. |
Diagnodent, when combined with traditional cavity detection methods, is an effective tool for detecting cavities in their earliest stages so that we can provide you with the treatment you need right away, preventing serious oral health consequences. For more information about Diagnodent, call Mid Valley Dental at (920) 215-4160 today.
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