Dental Technology: Catching Problems Early

Cosmetic Dentistry Directory

s modern dentistry has grown over recent years and cosmetic dentistry has emerged, dentists have begun taking a more pro-active and preventive approach to dental care. This is especially true of cosmetic and neuromuscular dentists. Technology has been developed to catch dental problems early, before they progress and require more extensive treatment.

Oral Cancer Screening

According to the American Cancer Society’s 2009 statistics on oral cancer, 7,600 people die each year in the U.S. from oral cancer. Half of all cases are diagnosed in people over 68 years old. If you use tobacco or drink alcohol frequently, you are six times more likely to develop oral cancer. Men are twice as likely to develop it as are women, perhaps because they more often include tobacco and alcohol in their lifestyle.

Many dentists have begun doing oral cancer screening annually, or more often if necessary.

Vizilite Plus Oral Cancer Screening
Abnormal and pre-cancerous cells can be visually distinguished from normal cells and the Vizilite Plus system uses a special light and a temporary dye to do this. The mouth is first swabbed with a one percent acetic acid solution. Then a Lumenoscopy™ examination is done using the Vizilite.

Normal surface (epithelium) cells absorb the light but abnormal cells appear white. The dentist can choose to wear special eyewear that blocks ambient light for a clearer view of the white cells picked out by the Vizilite. That means the room does not have to be darkened.

The dye is called the Tblue® Oral Lesion Marking System and in a second step, it is applied to cells identified by the Vizilite as abnormal. It makes them easily visible in normal light, for a closer examination.

VELscope Oral Cancer Screening
The VELscope system is a different type of oral cancer screening device. It consists of a handheld blue light that causes healthy tissue to fluoresce. The healthy tissue takes on an apple-green glow but abnormal tissue looks dark. Oral cancer typically starts beneath the surface in the tissue layer known as the stroma. There may be no surface abnormality visible in normal light but under the blue light, the dark areas indicate abnormal tissue in the stroma.

Further diagnostic procedures can then pinpoint the abnormality. Early cancer detection always leads to more effective treatment.

Early Caries Detection

There are several tools that enable your dentist to find early decay before it can be seen on X-rays or by the eyes. However, to find any decay on tooth roots, radiography must still be used, as the early detection systems cannot see below the gumline. Decay does not usually extend below the gumline until it is fairly extensive above it. If you visit your dentist regularly for checkups using any of these early detection systems, you will have a greatly reduced need for any X-rays.

DIAGNOdent
DIAGNOdent is a small unit with an attached handheld device to catch early tooth decay, before it is visible by any other means. Like the VELscope system for oral cancer screening, DIAGNOdent uses fluorescence but works differently. It is based on the fact that bacteria and abnormal tissue will fluoresce when exposed to a certain wavelength of light.

Using a light at a 655 nanometer wavelength, it shows healthy tooth tissue with little or no fluorescence and a low reading on the LED display. But decaying tooth tissue looks fluorescent and gives a high reading on the LED display. The more decay there is, the more fluorescent the area looks and the higher its reading is on the DIAGNOdent unit.

The DIAGNOdent unit also emits sounds – audio signals that change in pitch according to the degree of fluorescence being found. This allows the dentist to focus entirely on the patient, without having to look at the DIAGNOdent device.

Spectra Caries Detection System
Spectra is another caries detection system that uses fluorescence. This also is a handheld device connected to your dentist’s computer. It projects a violet-blue light on to the tooth surfaces which causes healthy tissue to appear green on the monitor and early decay to appear red. The light is picking up the bacterial excretions that cause the decay.

DIFOTI®
DIFOTI® (Digital Imaging Fiber-Optic Trans-Illumination) uses visible light and a digital camera to acquire images. Some of the light passes through the teeth and is picked up by the camera and passed to the computer. Detailed, real time images of your teeth are then visible on the chairside monitor for you and your dentist to discuss.

To read more about dental technology, please see:

• Dental Technology: Reducing Pain and Discomfort
• Dental Technology: Dentist/Patient Communication
• Dental Technology: New Materials and Devices

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