Traditionally doctors use a probe and press on darkened tooth area to check for the softness. This method is junked and is alarming as it can aggravate the decay process.
Whereas, Diagnodent is a reliable tool to aid in the detection of caries lesions with over a 90% accuracy rate. Even very small lesions are detected at the earliest stage, enabling you to protect and preserve the tooth substance, before any decay occurs.
Diagnodent Laser treatment has proved to be effective in timely detection of caries. It is extremely safe and has a short procedure time. Diagnodent laser is a non-invasive technique avoiding painful treatments of caries.
The Diagnodent is a laser-probe handpiece that uses 1-milliwatt, 655-nanometer wavelength light for the detection of caries. The device, which is intended as an adjunct to the clinical and radiographic detection of caries, works by shining pulsed light of a known wavelength onto the tooth surface via specially-designed tips. After a baseline measurement of the patient’s healthy tooth structure is made, the tip is placed on questionable areas of the tooth and slowly rotated or rocked with a pendulum-like motion. The unit’s internal processor interprets changes in the level of fluorescence of the light emitted back by the tooth as indicative of caries. A numerical reading is displayed on the front of the Diagnodent and an audible signal is sounded
Clinical evaluators reported that the Diagnodent laser had a short learning curve and was accurate. They appreciated having a non-invasive method for diagnosing questionable carious lesions. The small diagnostic tips even permitted assessment of small lesions. Although the Diagnodent requires additional time to use, most users felt that this is justified because it ensured an accurate clinical diagnosis.