DIGITAL X-RAYS
Some people are concerned about their exposure to radiation during dental x-rays. This is understandable because some medical x-rays have relatively high radiation. You will be happy to know that 18 dental x-rays deliver 56,000 times less radiation to an unborn child than an upper GI series, 800 times less radiation than a chest x-ray, and 40 times less radiation than a typical day of background radiation.
To improve your quality of care, we have invested in a new, more precise way of looking into your mouth – digital x-rays. Advantages of digital x-rays include an 80 percent reduction in radiation over traditional dental x-rays, incredible precision, and a nearly instantaneous image that can be reproduced any number of times for insurance or referral purposes. Digital x-rays are also better for the environment, as they do not require chemicals for developing the image and can be stored on our computer, thus saving paper.
We have another very special piece of equipment that takes digital panoramic x-rays. The machine slowly revolves around the patient, taking an x-ray of the patient's full mouth and jaw. It helps us to see the condition of your jawbone, reveals deep cavities, and allows us to see any impacted teeth. This type of x-ray is recommended every three to five years.
DIAGNODENT – LASER DETECTION OF CAVITIES
This instrument is one of our favorite, and most essential, tools! The Diagnodent uses a small laser to detect cavities. It is completely safe and painless. The laser technology penetrates the enamel and is able to actually quantify the amount of decayed material at that particular location. Because it is able to detect decay earlier than other methods, the cavity can be taken care of with a much smaller restoration. In some cases where the decay has not yet gotten through to the pulp of the tooth, preventative treatment can entirely eliminate the need for a filling!
Oral cancer kills one person every hour of every day. When oral cancer is detected early, patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. However, because the majority of cases are discovered in the late stage, 40 percent of those diagnosed will die within five years. Oral cancer often develops with no pain or symptoms, and goes undetected until it has already metastasized to another location.
Our hand-held light helps us find oral cancer faster and more reliably. Trimira uses a variety of wavelengths of light to allow us to see abnormalities such as oral cancer that may not be apparent to the naked eye, allowing for much earlier detection of oral cancer. It uses the body's natural tissue properties as a tool for detecting suspicious tissue, which will show up abnormally under the different wavelengths.
Our hygienist, Trish, says, "I shine a blue light on the tissue and it fluoresces in a specific wavelength. It looks green when healthy tissue fluoresces and what we're looking for is the lack of that green color. The cancerous cells that have turned to the dark side, literally, show up dark and don't fluoresce green."
A visual oral inspection is part of every regular cleaning appointment with your hygienist, and we now recommend that all of our patients also have a Trimira oral cancer screening once a year. If your hygienist considers you to be at high risk for oral cancer, they may recommend Trimira at each of your regular 6-month cleaning appointments. You may opt to have a Trimira oral cancer screening at any time.
LASER DENTISTRY
Dr. Kaveh is trained in laser oral surgery and is excited to be able to offer laser surgery options to his patients. Tissue heals faster when a laser is used in oral surgery, which means you will be comfortable faster.
Advantages of Laser Dentistry
- Minimal bleeding
- More controlled swelling
- Reduced postoperative infection/discomfort
- Less chance of infection
- Reduced time in dentist's office
- Less pain
- No noise (like a traditional dentist's drill)
- Faster healing
- A more sterilized environment (dental laser kills bacteria)
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