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Protecting Your Smile
High-Tech Diagnosis: DIAGNOdent
Is that dark groove in your tooth a harmless surface stain caused by your daily cappuccino? Or could it be a sign of bacteria starting to enter your tooth?
When a suspicious dark groove is noticed, a dentist might elect a “wait and see” strategy, keeping a watchful eye on the trouble spot. If it develops into a cavity, then the tooth can be drilled and filled.
Taking a more proactive approach, Dr. Snow uses an advanced diagnostic tool called DIAGNOdent, which helps takes the guesswork out of diagnosing decay.
When a suspicious dark groove is noticed, a dentist might elect a “wait and see” strategy, keeping a watchful eye on the trouble spot. If it develops into a cavity, then the tooth can be drilled and filled.
Taking a more proactive approach, Dr. Snow uses an advanced diagnostic tool called DIAGNOdent, which helps takes the guesswork out of diagnosing decay.
It gives him a clear, detailed assessment that allows him to use the most appropriate and least invasive treatment for each tooth.
Technological cavity detection:
- often prevents the need to drill, by revealing when a darkened area is simply a stain. In these cases, Dr. Snow can simply remove the stain and apply a sealant, rather than a filling, to protect the tooth.
- minimizes the amount of tooth that needs to be removed if there is decay. The instrument allows Dr. Snow to confirm the presence of decay at its earliest stage, to remove it (often using air gentle abrasion), and then restores the area with a bonded composite.
Did you know … ?
A 5-year study done by Clinical Research Associates found that, in nonsmokers, hidden cavities were almost always present under stained pits and fissures.
