The benefits of early cavity detection at your Sunbury dental clinic

Smile in Style is more than just a dental clinic. We are your partners in oral health and overall wellness. As a holistic dental practice, we have a strong focus on prevention of all oral disease, including cavities. One of our goals is the early detection and treatment of oral health problems including gum disease and decay detection

Why early detection makes a difference

Cavities often occur in pits in teeth where the enamel has eroded. If the tooth material surrounding the cavity is damaged, it must also be removed to prevent the spread of decay. By the time you see a cavity, the decay has already affected a significant part of the tooth. It’s a little bit like the spot you see on an apple. From the outside it looks like a spot but when you cut the apple open, it may be half rotten. Your tooth is the same. So what if your dentist could find the cavity even before it was visible? It could be treated while just a tiny bit of the enamel was diseased. Then very little of the tooth structure would need to be removed. That is precisely why we use DIAGNOdent technology for early diagnosis of tooth decay. We then use conservative restorative techniques such as use of the dental laser to remove the decay and preserve the healthy tooth structure.

How DIAGNOdent works

DIAGNOdent is a fast, painless, and non-invasive technique. The provider uses a handheld probe, which looks a bit like a pen, to check the health of teeth. It emits a gentle laser beam, at the precise wavelength of 655 nm. Why 655 nm? Healthy tooth enamel will look normal in this light. However, areas affected by decay will exhibit fluorescence (glowing). The more severe the disease, the more fluorescence is shown. This allows your dentist to detect and stop cavities before they develop.

The process is as comfortable and convenient as shining a flashlight on teeth. The DIADNOdent provides a reading for the dentist that indicates the level of decay in a tooth. Now your dentist can help you keep your smile healthy through the early detection of decay and stop cavities before they become visible, or painful.

If you are looking for preventative dental care; visit Smile in Style. You can call our Moonee Ponds office at 03 8400 4104 or our Sunbury office at 03 8001 6021 to schedule a consultation.