I have a friend who went to a new dental office a few years ago and was diagnosed with 8 cavities, even though his last dentist claimed he was cavity-free just 6 months earlier.  Sound familiar?  This has become a big issue in the dental world because the diagnosis of most cavities (the ones that can’t be seen on x-rays) is very subjective – based on the expert opinion of the dentist at hand. 

There are two main thought processes on this topic:   

1)  The surgical approach – The dentist that diagnosed the 8 cavities may steer on the side of absolute total prevention.  Not a bad idea.  When stains, deep pits or grooves, or potential cavities are present, one treatment may be to remove these so that no future problems can erupt.  With the advancements in dental materials, these areas can be treated with minimal intervention and sometimes without anesthetic.  So the general idea is to correct the problem now when it’s easiest on the patient and the tooth, rather than waiting to see how it will progress.  This pro-active stance removes all doubt of future complications.

2)  The medicinal approach – The dentist that gave the patient a clean bill of health may have determined, through months or years of observation, that the state of the lesion was arrested and not progressing.  Again, not a bad idea.  Instead of grabbing the drill and immediately eradicating the problem, he gave the tooth the benefit of the doubt.  Prescribing a high-dose fluoride along with calcium and phosphorous supplements and giving specific oral hygiene instructions are prevention methods that may keep the tooth from needing invasive treatment (filling).  This conservative stance is termed “minimally invasive” and helps preserve healthy tooth structure.

Evidence supports both camps, and the final decision is solely based on the clinical judgement of the treating dentist.  The major problem is that when the cavity doesn’t show up on the xray, we really don’t know what’s going on with a tooth beneath the surface.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could determine the extent of a cavity and then treat it appropriately?  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could scan your tooth to see if you really need a filling?  Well now we can!

The company KaVo recently developed the DIAGNOdent to overcome these diagnostic limitations.  DIAGNOdent is a laser that scans a tooth for decay, giving an objective score based on the amount of demineralization present on the tooth.  It’s quick, easy, and pain-free!  It works on the basis of the differing fluorescence between healthy and diseased tooth substance. This allows us to detect even the smallest of lesions, without X-rays or exposure to radiation, and in a way that is more reliable than any other method.  It’s the best of both worlds!

Greystone Smile Design, the office of Dr. Trent Buchanan and Dr. Tom Dudney, is proud to treat its patients with the DIAGNOdent – at no additional cost!  Visit our Hoover, Alabama office today!

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Anesthetics in dentistry are a much needed necessity; we tend to lose friends if we don’t use them.  But does it have to last all day?  Wouldn’t it be nice to go to the dentist on your lunch break then return to work without the speech impediment and constant drooling? 

We finally have the answer! 

Novalar Pharmaceuticals recently unveiled OraVerse, the first local anesthesia reversal agent that accelerates the return to normal sensation and function for dental patients who undergo soft-tissue anesthesia.

“How to address soft-tissue numbness is one of the most commonly asked questions in dentistry. OraVerse is the first solution of its kind that dentists can use to finally answer this question,” stated Dr. Stanley Malamed, professor of anesthesia and medicine at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, in a Novalar press release. “OraVerse will provide dentists with a convenient alternative for completing routine dental procedures that allows patients to comfortably return to their daily routine.”

OraVerse is effective and safe for adults and children up to age 6, and tends to speed normal sensation in more than half the time.  It may be more suitable for children to prevent tongue and cheek biting. 

You asked, we listened!  Check out the video.

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