Diagnodent Laser

Milwaukie, Oregon

Treating tooth decay can be tricky. While some teeth may have obvious signs of repair, such as large cracks that need filling, other teeth can look okay on the outside yet broken inside. A DIAGNOdent laser helps us find which teeth are broken inside so we can treat them before they have the chance to get any worse

What is a Diagnodent Laser?

A DIAGNOdent laser is a small tool that shines a fluorescent laser wherever we point it. The light from this laser can get inside the small cracks in your teeth. If its surface is thin because it has been eaten up by dental caries, the laser reflects and passes through your teeth, making it shine when we look at it from the outside.

How Dental Caries Work

Dental caries or cavities are pockets in your teeth that have been destroyed by plaque and bacteria. Plaque is a sticky surface on your teeth where bad oral bacteria can live and thrive. They feast on the sugars you eat and create acidic chemicals that burn through your teeth.

While regular toothbrushing is enough to keep these bacteria in check and prevent them from multiplying too much, there is a limit to how far a toothbrush can reach. Indeed, they can pass through small cracks. The bacteria that live here could then form plaque and tunnel deeper into your tooth where the toothbrush and toothpaste can never reach.

How DIAGNOdent Lasers Help

DIAGNOdent lasers do not differ that much from the regular lasers that you normally play around with. They release photons, light particles that enter the atoms of whatever they touch and reflect themselves to our eyes so we can see color. Photons can pass through thin objects, such as those near the size of your teeth.

When we shine a laser on your teeth, those with less mass and more inner space tend to shine brighter. There are more photons passing through here instead of getting absorbed by dental atoms. This helps us find which teeth have been damaged too far.

Unlike regular lasers, however, DIAGNOdent lasers are meant for being used on teeth. They are smaller and more compact. Their tips are made in a way that they will not break when saliva drips on the exit. They can also be sterilized repeatedly without breaking or malfunctioning.

Pain-free and Radiation-free

Since DIAGNOdent lasers work on the atomic level like x-rays and PET scans, does this mean that they are radioactive, too? Can they be painful like those in laser cutters? Fortunately, the lasers used in this technology are relatively low-powered. They are pain-free and radiation-free.

The light in DIAGNOdent lasers is quite similar to the light from the sun or a lightbulb. They are strong enough to let you see but weak enough to not burn you. On the other hand, these lasers emit photons of a certain wavelength or energy. This wavelength can pass through thin materials without altering anything but still visible even to the naked eye.

Are you worried about having dental cavities? Do not worry. At ComfortCare Dental, you are in safe hands. Our DIAGNOdent lasers and other laser teeth and gum treatments are only performed by our dentists who have been trained and certified to use these. Just give our Milwaukie office a call at (503)653-8320 or our Oregon City office at (503)557-3747 to schedule your appointment.