Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wisdom Wednesday

Today is Wisdom Wednesday......where we share some of our dental wisdom.

We are talking about Laser Cavity Scanners.  They are, by far, the greatest advance in dental diagnostics since the x-ray.  The Laser Scanner allows us to find cavities YEARS before any other means of cavity detection.....including the X-ray.  The machine simply shines a harmless laser beam into the tooth and sends back a reading of hardness.


Back teeth have naturally occurring pits and grooves on biting surfaces.  These pits are hard to brush, even if you are doing a good job and brushing regularly.  The bristles of your brush can't reach into these pits.  Decay is caused by bacteria that live in these pits and grooves.  The bad thing is, that cavities spread internally, leaving the outside of the tooth looking normal.  Research shows that 80% of cavities start in the pits and grooves.  X-rays can't pick up decay until it is VERY, VERY large.  However, the Laser Cavity Scanner can detect decay when it first appears. 

Call our office today to make sure you don't have any sneaky decay lurking in those pits and grooves.

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