To many, a visit to the dentist conjures images of terror. The high-pitched blaring sound of a dental drill and painful needle injections; these are enough to make one skip any dental appointment. But these things may be a thing of the past soon. Many advances in dentistry have been made so that a trip to your dentist can actually be an enjoyable experience.
Here are a few advanced technologies that are making dental procedures nowadays pain-free.
1. Dental Lasers. Gone are the days when your dentist had to poke your teeth with some sharp object and you had to wait and see if it stuck in your tooth, indicating that you had a cavity. Now a laser can be used to examine your teeth and it gives off a beep when a cavity is detected. Cool, right? And the best part is, it's totally painless, safe and extremely accurate at spotting cavities that are too small to be seen by your dentist's naked eye. Dental lasers are also used for deep cleaning to remove plaque and tartar. They are able to target decay and kill bacteria. Lasers will eventually replace drills and will allow dentists to perform a variety of procedures and treat damaged oral tissue without destroying surrounding, healthy tissue. All these procedures done without the need of any anesthetic injections.
2. Air Abrasion. The dental drill is probably the one instrument that most patients fear. The sound is enough to send people running. Luckily there is a new technology that may one day eliminate the need for the dental drill and needle injections. Air abrasion is a less traumatic alternative to drilling. It makes use of tiny particles of aluminum oxide that are blasted in a stream of water to selectively remove decay. Heat and vibration, which is the cause of pain and discomfort associated with traditional drilling, is greatly reduced when using air abrasion. Although the procedure is limited to treating small cavities, getting rid of surface stains and preparing teeth for fillings or bondings, it is highly effective for patients who are afraid of needles and noisy drills.
3. DentiPatch. Forget needles being stuck in your mouth. The DentiPatch is a band-aid like device that contains an anesthetic, lidocaine, and is applied to the gums. The lidocaine diffuses out of the patch and into the gum tissue. The DentiPatch can be used for a number of routine dental procedures. In cases where injections are needed, the patch can be applied first to numb the area before the injection.
Getting quality dental care doesn't have to be painful. These new innovations in dental technology have made many dental procedures more accurate, convenient and comfortable. Talk to your dentist. Many pain-free dental technologies are now available to help bring back your smile.
Bob Joy is a medical student who wants to spread the word about good oral hygiene and dental practices. He is a student in Nelson New Zealand.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Joy
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5369518
Here are a few advanced technologies that are making dental procedures nowadays pain-free.
1. Dental Lasers. Gone are the days when your dentist had to poke your teeth with some sharp object and you had to wait and see if it stuck in your tooth, indicating that you had a cavity. Now a laser can be used to examine your teeth and it gives off a beep when a cavity is detected. Cool, right? And the best part is, it's totally painless, safe and extremely accurate at spotting cavities that are too small to be seen by your dentist's naked eye. Dental lasers are also used for deep cleaning to remove plaque and tartar. They are able to target decay and kill bacteria. Lasers will eventually replace drills and will allow dentists to perform a variety of procedures and treat damaged oral tissue without destroying surrounding, healthy tissue. All these procedures done without the need of any anesthetic injections.
2. Air Abrasion. The dental drill is probably the one instrument that most patients fear. The sound is enough to send people running. Luckily there is a new technology that may one day eliminate the need for the dental drill and needle injections. Air abrasion is a less traumatic alternative to drilling. It makes use of tiny particles of aluminum oxide that are blasted in a stream of water to selectively remove decay. Heat and vibration, which is the cause of pain and discomfort associated with traditional drilling, is greatly reduced when using air abrasion. Although the procedure is limited to treating small cavities, getting rid of surface stains and preparing teeth for fillings or bondings, it is highly effective for patients who are afraid of needles and noisy drills.
3. DentiPatch. Forget needles being stuck in your mouth. The DentiPatch is a band-aid like device that contains an anesthetic, lidocaine, and is applied to the gums. The lidocaine diffuses out of the patch and into the gum tissue. The DentiPatch can be used for a number of routine dental procedures. In cases where injections are needed, the patch can be applied first to numb the area before the injection.
Getting quality dental care doesn't have to be painful. These new innovations in dental technology have made many dental procedures more accurate, convenient and comfortable. Talk to your dentist. Many pain-free dental technologies are now available to help bring back your smile.
Bob Joy is a medical student who wants to spread the word about good oral hygiene and dental practices. He is a student in Nelson New Zealand.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Joy
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5369518
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