Thursday 20 April 2017

Can Cavities Be Detected by Laser?


There are some Eugene dentists that have now used tools to detect cavities with a laser. Many might think that it’s weird or wrong, but there is a reason to doing this. It might be overly sensitive or inaccurate to some, but remember, laser tools are actually used to help find hidden cavities in this patient, and while they’re good for the top of the tooth, you should also couple this with a visual exam by the dentist. This article will discuss how these lasers work, and how they can detect cavities and such.

Now, how this works is simple. You shoot a safe and painless light at the tooth. It then absorbs some of the light t and reflects it to the back of the sensor on the machine. This in turn will show a digital reading. It is typically known that the higher the number, the more severe the decay is, and it’s what you should keep in mind when a dentist tells you.

Now there are a few pros to this. The first, is that you get early detection. Decay near the tooth surface might be hidden by an x-ray, however, according to new studies, these tools do pick up the type of decay this is. You might also end up finding cavities that an x-ray can’t pick up as a result of this too.


But of course, there are a few cons to this. The first, is that they don’t work on teeth with fillings there, so if you already have it, then you’ll definitely want to not use these. It also can indicate a cavity where there isn’t one. In situations where there are obvious cavities, this works well. However, in some gray areas, this might end up being too sensitive.

It also can’t show a cavity itself. It works well in showing the dentist other information. For example, you might want to pinpoint if there is a possibility of cavities, which this does, but it doesn’t work by itself. It must be coupled with other tools as well.

Finally, these can’t replace an x-ray. You might see some Eugene dentists use this, but these are not superior to the visual exam that is done by a dentist. While technology has come a long way, it still falls short compared to the traditional methods of choice.

Now, this device is mostly a diagnostic tool. It doesn’t tell you outright that you have a cavity. Rather, it will help the dentist point you in the right direction. The dentist will be able to tell you whether or not it is a cavity by looking at the readings of each tooth and comparing them to the baseline. This tool should be used by a dentist to give you additional information when looking for a cavity, and it shouldn’t be the only data point used. Remember, with some diagnostic tools, using more can give you a more accurate representation of your tooth. X-rays and these tools do complement each other, and using them together is really what you should do. The x-rays are good for finding cavities at the roots and the areas between the teeth, while the lasers are good for the biting surface.


You should make sure that you have a dentist that uses conservative dentistry the most. There are some dentists that tend to over treat. If you feel like this tool is oversensitive, let your dentist now that it’s not what you need, and you’ll be able to get a second opinion.

You might end up having to get a financial incentive from the insurance companies for a filling. Typically, insurance plans cover all fillings, whether it’s a small one, or a full-blown one. Now, you might want to make sure that all of the teeth are healthy, and all cavities are worked on. Whether or not you choose to have this laser used is really up to you. This is your health, your choices on the matter, and because of that, you can make the final call on whether or not you want a laser against your tooth, or whether you just want a traditional and accurate x-ray.