We are always looking for new and improved ways to keep
your teeth healthy and maintain a preventative and minimally invasive approach.
To identify cavities as early as possible, we typically recommend bite wing x-rays
(x-rays between the teeth) once per year. However, x-rays are not always 100%
conclusive and we want to make sure we offer the best possible treatment for
each individual. To help with our diagnostic abilities, we have added a new
tool to our repertoire: the CariVu.
The CariVu is an intra-oral device that uses a highly
concentrated light to illuminate decalcified areas between the teeth. We are
then able to save the images to the computer and use them as comparative
references each time. Just like x-rays, they are not always 100% conclusive,
but they are an excellent adjunct to our clinical exam and bite wing x-rays. But
unlike x-rays, the CariVu is radiation free.
So why don’t we do away with x-rays and simply use the
CariVu only for our exams. There are a couple of important reasons:
- Bite wing x-rays are still the standard of care
in diagnosing cavities in between the teeth because of their proven
history.
- CariVu does not show the health of the area
surrounding the teeth and cannot diagnose tooth, gum and bone infections.
As you can imagine, the more
information we have on the historical health of your teeth, the better
recommendations we can make. And just like the pictures we take of the teeth,
there is no additional charge for us to use this device. We just added it to
our armamentarium to better treat each person we see.
When we recommend a treatment plan for you, we want to
make sure it is individually catered to your health and needs. But in order to
do that, we need the maximum amount of relevant information. The CariVu is
another instrument we will use to help you stay healthy and smiling for a long
time.
For more information, visit
us at www.brownandkupper.com.
Lee T. Brown, DDS
Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.
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