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!
Meet Our Doctor:
Dr. Nick Yiannios
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Dr. Nick Yiannios was the firstborn of a Greek immigrant who traveled to the U.S. to seek his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. Sharing his father’s passion for the arts and sciences, after high school, Nick Yiannios traveled to Texas seeking an education in microbiology, that branch of science that deals with microorganisms. After obtaining his B.S. in microbiology from Texas A&M University, his passions naturally led him into the dental profession. In 1993, Dr. Nick Yiannios graduated from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio ...