DIAGNOdent Laser Tooth Cavity Detection

Identifying and preventing problems or treating them in their earliest stages is one of the most important things we can do for our patients. By the integration of new technology, DIAGNOdent, allows us to provide minimally invasive and tooth preserving treatment. Farmington, Livonia and Detroit based cosmetic dentist Dr. Roman Shlafer has significantly improved his ability to make an early diagnosis while cavities are in the very early stages. DIAGNOdent has been approved for the detection of dental caries by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association.

The widespread use of fluoride over the last many years, has created a harder enamel surface that is more resistant to decay. This has reduced the overall incidence of decay, but has made it more difficult to detect cavities in their early stages. Cavities that used to begin on the smooth outer enamel surface are now more frequently found in the softer layer, called dentin, beneath the enamel. This can cause cavities to destroy tooth structure from the inside out, leaving the outside of the tooth appearing healthy, until the decay is so large it is detected by an x-ray, pain, or a visible discoloration in the tooth.

The DIAGNOdent is a Class I laser that emits safe, painless pulses of light through the tooth structure. It uncovers hidden decay. A healthy tooth structure  exhibits no fluorescence, a decayed tooth does exhibit fluorescence that increases in proportion with the degree of decay. This technology has been the most significant breakthrough since the x-ray.