Painless procedure that rarely requires the use of anaesthetic, air abrasion, also known as micro-abrasion, is a new technology which prepares teeth for filling. It combines a powerful stream of air and abrasive particles that remove only the decalcified area (the caries). Appreciated by youth and adults, air abrasion is a treatment combined with Diagnodent. Finally, that technology allows us to do preventive diagnosis.

The Diagnodent is a safe laser instrument that detects caries in the pits and fissures of a tooth more precisely than a conventional method such as dental X-rays and the use of an explorer (the dentist’s small hook.) A digital reading couplet with a sonic indicator enables us to determine the best treatment required on a specific tooth. Then, using air abrasion, the cavity is prepared for filling and will be much smaller. In conclusion, that dental technology allows us to do preventive diagnostics as well.

Several types of lasers exist in dentistry. At Centre dentaire La Vallée, we offer four choices of dental lasers..

LaserSmile and EZlase

Frequently used to treat periodontics (periodontal gum diseases), these lasers enable the decontamination of periodontal pockets (gum detached from bones and teeth) through their antibacterial effect; they destroy bacteria responsible for gum disease. Moreover, their biostimulation effect helps reattachment of tissue around the tooth.

Waterlase and Waterlase MD

Used for certain fillings without the need of anesthesia, the main advantage of these lasers is that they are minimally invasive which makes it possible to conserve a maximum of healthy dental structure by eliminating the vibration and micro-fractures encountered with the conventional drill.

These lasers are also used for different types of dental surgeries because they have the advantage of being faster and painless. They also reduce the degree of inflammation present in tissues. For patients experiencing dentinal hypersensitivity, the laser permits a therapeutic approach to long term desensitization without the use of chemical adjuvant such as desensitizing toothpaste found on the market.

These types of laser permit, by their simple procedures, to attenuate pain caused by ulcers or aphthae by creating a protective barrier which accelerates the healing process.

Furthermore, the use of lasers is beneficial for patients with oral herpes or commonly known as “cold sore” because they reduce the uncomfortable feeling and the expansion of the lesion, and they accelerate its disappearance. If the sores are regularly treated by these lasers, their recurrence can also be reduced.

The E4D technology allows your dentist to do an on-site crown, veneer or inlay. Our device takes your digital dental print, creates a virtual representation, and sends appropriate instructions to our grinding station. Once the computer-assisted E4D restoration done, your dentist can adjust, characterize, and polish the final restoration which is now ready to be cemented. Unlike the traditional dentistry needed to manufacture crowns, veneers or inlays in extern laboratory, the E4D technology allows dentist to restore your teeth in one single appointment. Although you need a root canal treatment, an extensive restoration or a color correction on one or several teeth, it is now possible to treat it simply and rapidly.

The E4D technology advantages

• Complete treatment in one single appointment (one local anesthesia)
• Durability of the material (about 15 years)
• High level of precision to manufacture crowns, veneers or inlay adapted to your mouth
• Painless intervention
• Permanent and highly aesthetic restoration

The most ubiquitous technological equipment in dental practices these days is the intra-oral camera. It is small enough to be easily inserted in the mouth and takes photos from various angles which are directly downloaded to the patient’s computerized file. This device is useful to show patients a tooth before and after its restoration, the evolution of caries, the condition of the gums, or any other particular aspect of their health that may require attention. The intra-oral camera allows us to establish a clearer treatment plans for the patient because… a picture is worth a thousand words!

Ecological alternative because no chemical solutions are necessary, digital radiology has many advantages, and produces images which are similar to the conventional radiology. The picture is taken with a traditional X-ray tube, but employs a reusable phosphor storage plate instead of the typical X-ray film that reduces the radiation up to 75%. The plate is then scanned with a laser beam that permits images to be viewed on a computer.

Digital radiology advantages

• Computer aided technology used to improve sharpness of images
• Environmentally friendly (no need for various toxic chemical solutions)
• Fast processing
• Radiation reduced 70 to 80%

Electromyograms (EMG) measure muscular activity in patients suffering from temporomandibular articulation (TMA) dysfunctions. EMGs are used to assess the workings of the muscles involved in chewing, swallowing, clenching of the jaw, etc. The electromyogram is a computerized technology which gives us precise data, allows the dentist to make the right diagnosis, and proposes the most appropriate treatment plan.

Electromyograms are taken twice: before and after the usage of the TENS device (transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation) which relaxes the jaw muscles in order to determine the patient’s ideal occlusion without any pain. By combining before and after data, the dentist measures the gap between malocclusion that causes joint pain and the preferred occlusion that will reduce problems and decrease pain.

The computerized electromyograms help determine the optional positioning of the mandible (lower jaw) compared with the maxilla (upper jaw), in the context of the temporomandibular articulation and the muscles of the jaw.

The power of the Identafi® multiple wavelengths allows us to detect preventatively abnormal mucosa which can be cancerous. The new Identafi® uses the Identafi® technology multi-spectral of fluorescence and reflection to improve the imagery of abnormal mucosa such as mouth cancer or pre-cancerous dysphasia which cannot be visible to the naked eye. Unlike conventional fluorescence technologies and dyeing systems, Identafi® is multi-spectral with three different color wavelengths that easily distinguishes vascular injuries.

Identafi® functioning

Identafi® uses white, violet and orange wavelengths to excite distinctively and uniquely oral tissues. The color combination gives dentists visual information. Furthermore, the visual examination supports the results and allows dentists to recommend a biopsy if needed.