Stop Cavities Before They Start

Share This Dental Story |

 Print This Post

Related Dental Articles

• Easy Ways to Help Keep Your Mouth Free of Plaque and Cavities
• How to Stop Tooth Decay (Dental Caries)
• How to Prevent Dental Cavities Gift from Parents to Children

Search for Dental Articles about...

What if your dentist could detect the potential for a cavity to form before it ever happened? A new testing device called the CariScreen from an Oregon company, Oral BioTech, now makes early detection of cavities possible. Cavities are caused by a bacterial infection called dental caries. New research by leading experts worldwide confirms that this infection while complex, is identifiable and treatable, no needles or drills necessary.

The CariScreen is a hand-held meter that utilizes ATP bioluminescence technology to detect the levels of acid-producing, decay-causing bacteria residing in an individual’s plaque. Contrary to popular belief, not all plaque is bad plaque. Only when there has been a shift from the normal healthy micro flora of the mouth to an unhealthy acidic bacterial population does dental decay become possible. The CariScreen technology allows dentists to take a quick, painless swab sample of patients’ plaque and using the meter, get a reading within 15 seconds as to whether there are too many of these acidic bacteria present. The revolutionary aspect here is that this shift in bacterial population can now be identified and health restored before a cavity ever has a chance to form.

Extensive research has been completed on this technology at Oregon Health Science University, the results of which maintain that ATP bioluminescence is a “highly predictive . . . useful tool for the rapid chair-side quantification of bacterial load . . .”

The advantages to patients having access to this standard of care are far reaching. Dr. John C. Kois, Director and Founder, of the world-renowned Kois Center for Dentistry in Seattle, Washington, says it best when he says “No dentistry is as good as no dentistry.” The idea here is that the more natural, unrestored teeth we can maintain in the mouth, the better the outlook for long-term oral health. The impact for children who now are experiencing early childhood caries is astonishing. They not only incur the cost and pain of restorations today, but can look forward to a lifetime of repairing these same cavities as restorative materials break down. The potential to affect people’s dental experience over a lifetime by providing access to early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention is a dream-come-true for many dental professionals.

Minimally invasive procedures often entail less pain, more predictable outcomes, and potentially less impact on patients’ wallets. Take for example the CariScreen procedure. Patients can gain the knowledge as to the health, or lack thereof, of the bacteria in their mouth in under a minute and in most cases for the bargain price of less than $50. Compare this to the average cost of a tooth colored filling around $250 and the benefits again are made clear.

To learn more about the CariScreen procedure and other innovative products available from Oral BioTech visit www.carifree.com.