DIAGNOdent Laser Cavity Detection | Oconomowoc, WI

Expert Smile Designs uses DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection in Oconomowoc, WI to find tooth decay at a stage where it cannot yet be seen, with Dr. Tom A. Stamas and Dr. Paul Stamas practising at 1020 Oconomowoc Parkway.

The practice’s reasoning is the same as it would be for any health problem: the sooner decay is found, the less has to be done about it. An area caught early may need a small filling. The same area found two years later can mean a crown, or root canal treatment, or both.

The difficulty is that early decay is genuinely hard to spot. It tends to begin in the pits and grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth — narrow channels that are difficult to see into and too fine for a dental probe to enter reliably. X-rays show decay well once it has progressed, but early surface demineralisation often does not register clearly.

DIAGNOdent™ works differently. A low-intensity laser is directed at the tooth surface, and healthy enamel and decayed tissue fluoresce at different levels in response. The device translates that difference into a numerical reading, so the dentist gets an objective measure rather than a judgement call.

Practically, the scan involves nothing a patient would object to. There is no radiation, no drilling, and no probing of the tooth surface — the device simply passes over it and takes a reading in seconds.

One of the more useful consequences is what it allows the dentists not to do. A numerical reading can be recorded and re-checked at the next appointment. An area that is borderline but stable can be monitored rather than treated immediately, while one that is progressing shows a changed reading and can be dealt with before it becomes a larger problem. That is a better basis for deciding than guesswork in either direction.

DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection in Oconomowoc, WI sits alongside the practice’s other diagnostic technology — digital X-rays, an intraoral camera, Tekscan® bite analysis and TMJ Scan with Joint Vibration Analysis — supporting general and family dentistry, restorative work and cosmetic treatment.

Recognised as a Top Dentist by MKE Lifestyle magazine, Expert Smile Designs sees patients from across Waukesha County’s Lake Country, including Delafield, Hartland, Dousman and Watertown.

To ask about DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection in Oconomowoc, WI, call 262-567-8386. Expert Smile Designs, 1020 Oconomowoc Parkway, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 53066.