Diagnodent
A diagnostic laser tech that objectively verifies if decay is present or absent within the grooves of a tooth. Instead of the old school way of simply looking at a tooth and probing with a metal explorer, our office routinely uses the Diagnodent® coupled with digital x-rays to quantify the presence, or absence, of decay.
Hard, non-decayed tooth structure reflects most of the laser light energy back to the Diagnodent, and records a smaller number, thereby quantifying things. Numbers below 30 are not decay. Conversely, a softer, decaying tooth will absorb much of the laser light energy, and the diagnodent processor records a much higher number due to less light bouncing back to the unit, proving to Dr. Nick that the decay is indeed present.
A number above 30 is most assuredly a cavity, whether it is obvious clinically or not. The laser diagnostic technology known as the diagnodent does a great job eliminating the subjective, as is always the goal at Dr.Nick’s!