Laser Cavity Detection

For most health problems, early detection makes the difference between simple, conservative treatment and more complex (and more costly) procedures. This holds true even for a seemingly small problem like a dental cavity.

When we catch cavities early, we have several options available. Depending on the size of the cavity, we may decide to watch it for a while, or we may decide that now is a good time to quickly fill it and stop it in its tracks. The key is that we have options, and time is on our side.

If too much time passes between the start of a cavity and its detection, our options are much more limited. We may have to move quickly to stop the progression of the cavity before it reaches the nerve and causes considerable pain. In a worst-case scenario, the cavity may have progressed to the point where the tooth structure is severely compromised and a root canal or even extraction is required.

Detecting Cavities

To stay on top of cavities and keep your options open, visit our office twice a year for examinations. Visual examinations and x-rays are two of the ways that we look for cavities, but our Sugar Land dental office also has another secret weapon to help us detect cavities before they are visible by eye or even by x-ray – the DIAGNOdent laser.

Using a small handheld device, Dr. Grizzle will scan your teeth easily and painlessly with the laser. The laser gives back readings that allow us to identify the beginnings of cavities – even those hidden beneath the enamel that might otherwise go undetected for a long time.

The laser system has been shown to be 90% accurate in finding cavities. In the past, a suspicious-looking mark on the tooth could have been cause for a difficult decision. Should we wait and see what happens or open up the tooth to find out what is going on? When we use the laser, we can get the answers we need without having to resort to invasive procedures and can take the time to make a decision that is right for you.

What Is a Cavity?

You’ve heard the term “cavity” over and over throughout your life. Do you know what a cavity actually is? The medical term for cavities is “dental caries,” and it means small holes in your teeth – and the beginning of decay.

Millions of bacteria live in your mouth. While most are helpful and belong there naturally, some are problematic. These types of bacteria make their home in plaque that sticks to your teeth. While plaque sits on your teeth, the bacteria produce acid that eats away at the surface of your teeth. Brushing often to remove the plaque is the most important thing you can do to prevent cavities from starting.

If a cavity is left untreated, it will continue to grow, causing the tooth to decay and eventually die. When the cavity hits the nerve, it causes pain and usually requires more advanced treatment.

To treat a cavity, we remove a very small portion of the tooth around the cavity to stop the decay process and then fill in the remaining hole with filling material. At our office, we prefer to use tooth-colored composite resin filling that doesn’t leave a gray mark on the outside of your tooth.

If it’s time for a regular checkup – or even if it’s been a while – call our office today to schedule your appointment with Dr. Reagan Grizzle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a dental laser do?

Dental technology is improving every day. Some of that technology helps with detection like digital x-rays and the DIAGNOdent laser. Prevention is the best thing we can do to help support your dental health. If you experience a problem and we are able to diagnose it early, we might be able to keep your expenses and the severity of treatment to a minimum. Dr. Reagan Grizzle believes in prevention, early diagnosis, and conservative treatment when taking care of his valued patients.

Our office uses the DIAGNOdent laser to help us find cavities when they are still very small and easily treatable with conservative, less-invasive measures. We use a handheld device to run a laser light over your teeth. The light provides readings that give us information about the composition of your teeth. Using this laser, we can even detect cavities that are forming under your enamel. We believe in prevention and early detection, and the DIAGNOdent laser is a part of that plan.

We are committed to the health of our patients and we utilize the tools we have available to make sure you stay healthy and cavity-free. We treat our patients like family and that includes helping to prevent pain and deep decay.

How does DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection work?

At Dr. Reagan Grizzle’s Sugar Land, TX dental office, we believe that any way that we can use technology to help our patients creates exceptional value and the best dentistry available. Because we focus on prevention, we decided to utilize DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection to help our patients maintain a healthy smile.

The smallest compromise in the enamel of your teeth can allow microscopic bacteria to enter. The bacteria create an acidic environment in your mouth and can create cavities. If those cavities are underneath your tooth’s enamel, it may not show up on an x-ray. This is why the DIAGNOdent is so useful.

DIAGNOdent works by treating your tooth with a specific laser wavelength. When the tooth is healthy, little or no fluorescence is exhibited and the readings are very low. When decay (caries) is present, the tooth displays fluorescence in proportion to the severity of the caries and results in a high reading. Lasers can detect cavities where the human eye and x-rays cannot.

In addition to providing a reading, the DIAGNOdent laser also identifies the area in your tooth where the decay is present so that Dr. Grizzle can efficiently and accurately remove the decay, sterilize your tooth, and fill it so that it is protected.

Can you use laser cavity detection on teeth with fillings?

Laser cavity detection is incredibly useful for detecting cavities below the surface. Because fluoride had made enamel harder and mare stable, microscopic bacteria are sneaking into our teeth and eating them up from the inside out. While harder, healthier enamel is good, it does pose a challenge when it comes to the accurate diagnosis of dental caries.

The laser senses density and can find its way into the smallest of openings in your tooth and determine not only the presence of dental decay, but also the extent of the dental decay.

While laser cavity detectors work on the margins of amalgam fillings, composite (white) fillings will not work with laser cavity detection because of its density. Composites throw off the readings, leading to an inaccurate diagnosis.

Dental sealants also interfere with laser cavity detection. In order to use the laser, we must first remove your sealants.

We can use other measures to diagnose caries. We still have digital x-rays, visual inspection, and plenty of preventative measures to keep your teeth healthy. We use all of the methods available in order to protect your teeth.

If you have questions about laser cavity detection, please give us a call.

How accurate is laser cavity detection?

Laser cavity detection is a relatively new innovation used to detect cavities that are inside your teeth. It only takes a few bacteria to eat away at the inside of your teeth. Because enamel is harder and stronger than ever, thanks to fluoride, x-rays cannot penetrate your enamel to see what is going on inside your tooth. That is where laser cavity detection comes in.

Not only can we use lasers to detect cavities, but we can also use the measurements to see if the decay has grown in size or remained the same. We can also use the lasers to determine how extensive the decay is and whether we should treat it immediately.

Laser cavity detection does have its limitations. When you already have composite fillings, we cannot use the laser to detect cavities because the composite material interferes with the laser and gives inaccurate readings. Sealants also prevent the lasers from working properly.

If you have old amalgam fillings, we can use the laser to take measurements around the margin of your old fillings in case the margins are breaking down and allowing cavities to form.

Combining all of our tools provides us with an arsenal of protection against some of the most common dental conditions.

Are lasers safe for use in dentistry?

It is natural to be a little skeptical because new technology emerges all of the time. At Dr. Grizzle’s office, we do not just jump on every bit of new technology without doing research and making sure that it is truly something that benefits our patients. We know that patients don’t want to be bothered with a bunch of gadget just for the sake of using them. That is why Dr. Grizzle tests all of the equipment before he commits to it.

Dentists have used lasers in dentistry for decades now. From soft tissue lasers, used in gingival surgeries, to lasers used to prep teeth quickly and painlessly for procedures, lasers provide greater accuracy, comfort, and diagnostic benefits for our patients.

At Dr. Grizzle’s office, we use cavity laser detection as an additional tool to help prevent our patients from developing decay and requiring more extensive treatment. A lot of dentistry today is about prevention and anywhere we can save you from unnecessary treatment, we will.

Laser cavity detection works by shining a laser on your clean, dry tooth. The laser can penetrate your tooth through the smallest of fissures and determines the health of your tooth from the inside out, measures the level of decay, and its progression.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Reagan Grizzle DDS

After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Biology, Dr. Reagan Grizzle went on to attend the University of Texas Dental School and graduated with honors in 1980.

Following graduation, Dr. Grizzle taught as a part-time assistant professor at his alma mater for five years. During this time, he also started his Sugar Land dental practice, opening his doors for the first time in 1982. He is a member of the American Dental Association and the Texas ...