Air abrasion and laser detection
Decay can now be easily detected using laser diagnosis. A laser beam can be directed into the tooth surface, causing any decay to glow. To date, this is the most reliable way to detect early decay in the chewing surfaces of teeth.
The decay is then painted with a dye which stains it a bright red. Used together with high-magnification lenses and an advanced intraoral video camera, this dye results in very high accuracy when diagnosing decay at the very early stages, long before traditional detection methods using X-rays and traditional-style examinations. Only 25% of decay that is present in the grooves of the chewing surfaces of the back teeth is detected with this type of conventional ‘mirror and probe’ examination.
Even better, using state-of-the-art technology, a computer-controlled stream of air and powder can remove this decay without the use of standard dental drills. This technique uses a particle stream to abrade the tooth and decay, letting most people be treated without the use of local anaesthetic.
This system is best suited to cavities in their early stages, especially in children, before any decay has severely damaged the tooth. Micro abrasion is a great option for addressing early-stage decay that is quick, quiet, gentle, and comfortable. This technology also keeps repairs smaller and more accurate as it is performed under magnification using a very fine particle stream, preventing the unnecessary removal of additional tooth material surrounding the decay. This helps to keep more of the original tooth intact, making it stronger and less likely to break, which can be a problem with conventional cavity repair.
Is micro-dentistry for everyone?
Air abrasion keeps you comfortable as the device does not produce the heat, odours, friction, vibration, or noise that is generated by a conventional drill.
Once the decay has been removed, your tooth is restored with a tooth-coloured material that is bonded to the tooth using an extremely rapid light curing system that creates a very strong, nearly invisible restoration.
We are very excited to offer the advantages of micro-dentistry, but the biggest benefits are yours.
- Early, easy, and safe diagnosis of decay with near 100% accuracy
- Early detection and intervention, which results in less tooth loss to decay, resulting in less repair and sounder teeth
- In most cases, no anaesthesia is required. No numbness, no fat lip.
- Faster and quieter
- Highly pleasing, long-lasting aesthetic fillings that match your natural teeth and are nearly invisible
- Better long-term oral health. Since more of your natural tooth structure is preserved as you get older, you will be less likely to suffer tooth fractures that can result from large cavities
- At no more cost than tooth-coloured restorations placed using a drill.
Take advantage of our expertise and techniques to preserve your oral health and restore your smile.
Laser diagnostics
If you cannot detect disease, how can you treat it?
Dentists often experience anxiety when attempting to diagnose the phenomenon known as hidden caries (tooth decay). A suspicious-looking tooth presents a treatment dilemma for dentists. Should the tooth be opened up? What if no caries is found? Should the tooth just be watched, or does that give caries more time to destroy the tooth’s surface?
While helping to improve the oral health of many New Zealanders, fluoridation has resulted in harder tooth enamel. Caries lesions (holes that once began on the tooth’s surface) have now migrated below the surface.
These treatment decisions require a higher degree of certainty. The Diagnodent Laser Caries Detection Aid removes the doubt from treatment decisions regarding hidden caries or questionable stained grooves. The device’s ability to see into occlusal pits and fissures enables dentists to treat subsurface caries lesions with confidence.
All of the clinicians at The Dentists use this tool
The Diagnodent Laser Caries Detection Aid measures a number of things in your tooth. First is the amount of tooth destruction, and second is the activity of the bacteria that cause decay. It is extremely accurate; trials have shown it to be 99% accurate as opposed to the mirror and probe, which is only 25% accurate.
We can diagnose any tooth decay in its early stages and treat it. This tool ensures that you can keep your teeth a lot longer, if not for the rest of your life. This is especially important for children so we can prevent the need for large fillings that many older generations have now.
Biolase Lasers
Biolase water laser
The Biolase water laser is a medical-strength laser used for all aspects of dental surgery. It utilises water to perform cutting procedures. Laser energy is passed through a water spray mist. As the water particles are energised by the laser, they shoot forward and hit the target tissue. Since the majority of mouth tissue cells are made up of water, they make a perfect target. The water particles hit the cells and evaporate the cells’ water contents, and the cells collapse. Sounds very gentle, eh? It is! Consider the alternative. Picture in your mind what a scalpel blade or a drill will do to the same cells — ouch!
What can this wonderful tool be used for?
“It can be used in every aspect of dentistry”, says Dr Durning. We can now do fillings very gently. There is no vibration or heat caused in the tooth, preparing it for a filling. This is a major advantage over the drill. When a drill hits a tooth, it causes fracture lines at the entry point through the enamel. Over time, these fracture lines propagate (like cracks in your windshield) and cause the tooth or fillings to break — sound familiar? Also, the high-speed drill causes heat. This, coupled with the vibration, causes a lot of the pain you feel when going to the dentist. The laser has none of this! That is why many fillings can now be prepared without the need for the dreaded injection.
So it can only be used on my teeth?
No! All soft tissue (gums and lips) procedures can be carried out too, the greatest advantage being the healing time after the procedures. A lot of the time, there is no pain or even a trace of trauma after surgical procedures. A good example is gum re-contouring. This is carried out for the cosmetic enhancement of your smile (smile lift) or to create more room for a filling or crown. Traditionally, a scalpel blade and stitches are used. You have the stitches in for 1 week and have to allow for complete healing in about 3–6 weeks. In contrast, the laser gives you no stitches and, in many cases, healing is on the day! Cold sores and ulcers can now be ‘lasered’ closed. This provides immediate relief and gives a faster healing time. It has been shown that the cold sore will never appear in that same site that has been lasered.
The new millennium is here, and with it new technology is gripping dentistry. No longer is dentistry looked on as archaic. The days of drilling and filling are numbered. Lasers have revolutionised the way we treat our precious patients.
— Dr Adam Durning, Laser Symposium, Newport Beach, CA, USA 2004.
We can now offer treatment that is comfortable, predictable and affordable to them and, in the same stroke, we can have fun.
