Lotta chatter about dentistry on the news shows these days…this from ABC news
By the time a
dentist finds a cavity,
that tooth has been through several stages of a chronic infectious disease
called dental caries, where acids dissolve tooth enamel, letting bacteria
inside. Unchecked, the tooth can die.
Dentistry today
focuses on early intervention to prevent bacterial invasion of the dentin, a layer
just inside the enamel, and the vital pulp. Laser scanning, fiber
optics and fluorescent technologies have allowed dentists to better visualize
weakened, decayed enamel before it becomes visible on an X-ray or to the naked
eye. Some dentists say high-tech tools enable them to perform minimally invasive
dentistry, which preserves more of the tooth, often by treating “incipient carious lesions,”
also called microcavities. These abnormalities begin as white spots,which can
progress to dark,stained pits and fissures.
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