New Advances

As you all know, our office thrives on continuing education and the relentless pursuit of the most up-to-date and best in dental technology. We are always striving to find the newest materials that will allow us to perform long-lasting state-of-the-art dentistry on our patients. There are always new and very exciting technologies being developed that we evaluate and investigate. As these new products and techniques become perfected, you can be assured that you will be seeing them in our office.

WE ARE PROUD TO INTRODUCE A NEW LIFESAVING TECHNOLOGY - VELscope™

One person every hour of every day dies of Oral Cancer in America. It has become the sixth leading cancer among men and is one of the few cancers in which the rate of detection is increasing among young adults. Most people are not aware of the potential risks; however, when detected early enough, the survival rate for oral cancer is very high.

At one time oral cancer was predominantly seen among smokers, however, increasingly, oral cancer is being seen in patients of all ages. Although smoking is still a leading factor, many other criteria such as age, family history, ethnicity and alcoholic consumption also play a role. Many experts have surmised that an increasing cause is exposure to the HPV virus, which is the primary precursor of cervical cancer. These various factors all point towards the need for better technology to assist in the early detection of this curable disease.

We have always conducted an annual comprehensive oral cancer screening for all of our patients, but we have recently incorporated a breakthrough technology that will allow us to see things we’ve been unable to see previously. By detecting potential problems earlier, we’ll be providing our patients with the best oral health care currently available.

This new and exciting technology, called VELscope™, utilizes a narrow band of safe, high-energy blue light and specialized filtering technology to help thoroughly evaluate the oral tissue for abnormal areas of concern, such as potentially cancerous lesions that may not be evident under white light. Click for full information.

Invisalign “Invisible Braces”

Forget everything you’ve heard about teeth straightening. Because now there’s breakthrough technology that lets you get the smile you have always wanted without bands, brackets, or wires. By using a series of clear, removable aligners, Invisalign straightens your teeth right before your eyes. Change them about every 2 weeks and your teeth will move…little by little, week by week…until they have moved to the final position we desire. Comfortable to wear, aligners are also removable so you can eat, drink, brush, and floss as usual.
We are now certified to offer Invisalign orthodontic appliances. These “invisible” appliances are used to straighten teeth, close spaces, and correct imperfections in your smile. You can brush and floss normally, which can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease during treatment. Because the Aligners are removable, you do not have to worry about what you eat. Properly positioned teeth are easier to brush and floss than teeth that are crowded, crooked, or spaced too far apart.

Vizilite Oral Cancer Diagnostic Rinse

Oral cancer is one of the most curable diseases when it is caught early. We have recently introduced ViziLite Oral Cancer Diagnostic Rinse to our regimen of “tools” in our office. ViziLite is a quick, painless exam for the early detection of oral abnormalities that could lead to cancer. The key is early detection, before precancerous cells are visible to the unaided eye and while they can still be addresses at the most easily treatable stage. ViziLite is not a replacement for a conventional oral cancer examination, but rather an enhancement to it.
First you rinse with a cleansing solution. We then use a ViziLite lightstick to illuminate the oral cavity. Suspicious areas “glow” white and warrant further investigation.

M. I. Paste

Teeth need calcium, phosphate, and fluoride. Healthy saliva contains these minerals, and in conjunction with certain salivary proteins, is able to deliver bio-available calcium and phosphate to the tooth structure during the deminalization/remineralization process. This calcium and phosphate can strengthen enamel, reduce sensitivity, and buffer plaque acid. MI paste contains Recaldent which has the unique ability to deliver bio-available calcium and phosphate when they are needed most.

Digital Radiography

Our office is now utilizing the new and exciting technology known as digital radiography. With the introduction of high resolution digital sensors, we have now reached the point where the diagnostic capabilities of digital systems surpass the diagnostic capability of film. This is the first fundamental change in radiology in over 100 years. The system replaces film with a special sensor. The sensor detects radiation and transmits information to a computer. The software then immediately displays the image on the 20 inch color televisions that we have had mounted in our operatories for the last few years.

This technology has some clear advantages over conventional dental radiographs:
1. Digital radiographs require 75% less radiation to create an image than film.
2. No chemicals are used in developing the images. This is good for our environment.
3. The images you see of your teeth are instantly displayed on the television screen. We will be able to review your teeth and supporting bone with you during our thorough examinations.
4. Once an image is digitized, it can be manipulated electronically. We can enlarge areas or change contrast to bring out greater detail, thus making it easier for us to diagnose problems.
We hope that you enjoy this new technology next time you are at our office. It truly is an exciting new advance in the field of dentistry.

Soft Tissue Diode Laser

We now have a new instrument that will allow us to treat the soft tissues of the oral cavities in new manner. This diode laser is used to cosmetically reshape the gums, lessen the pain of canker sores, remove diseased tissue from underneath the gums, sterilize periodontal pockets, and more. And most importantly, all of this is done in a relatively painless manner. There is minimal post-operative discomfort after this laser is used. We are very excited about the potential future uses of this instrument.
Links Between Periodontal Disease and Heart and Other Diseases

Studies involving almost 50,000 people in four different countries continue to verify the association between periodontal disease and heart disease. The culprit appears to be a common strain of bacteria found in periodontal disease. It seems to cause blood clots that can induce a heart attack if they escape into the bloodstream. Chronic inflammation that is the hallmark of periodontal disease is also involved in the inflammation of the blood vessel lining which can lead to the build up of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis). So you can now add periodontal disease to the other major determinants of cardiovascular disease...smoking, hypertension, excess lipids in the bloodstream, diabetes, genetic predisposition, stress, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity.

Periodontal disease has also been implicated as a risk factor in other systemic diseases. The risk of strokes in people with this problem is almost three times that of people with healthy mouths. There is growing evidence that many chronic lung infections are caused by bacteria from the mouth being aspirated down into the lungs. Diabetes is aggravated by periodontal disease. This same bacteria may weaken the immune system and lead to slow wound healing and diminish a person's response to vaccines. Studies have shown that mothers with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have low-weight and premature babies.

Together, you and we can improve not only your oral health, but add improvement to your overall health. Do not forget to come in for your regular dental checkups.

NTI-tss Appliance and other Bruxism Appliances

This device is fabricated to suppress jaw muscle contraction, i.e. clenching and grinding. The NTI-tss system takes advantage of the naturally protective nociceptive trigeminal inhibition reflex, which prevents the powerful temporalis muscles from contracting with full intensity. It is the protective reflex experienced when biting down, expecting something soft, but encountering something hard. In addition to preventing occluding of the canine and molar teeth (which is required to generated significant muscle contraction intensity and joint strain), this jaw-opening reflex - triggered by the NTI-tss device - protects incisors, posterior molars, surrounding tissues and the temporomandibular joints. It also helps prevent associated headaches, stiff, sore joints and muscles, and tooth sensitivity.

Shade-Rite Laser Shade Taking Device

As dentists, we are often challenged with matching the color of existing teeth when we do porcelain or resin restorations. We have a device that is a spectrophotometer and is able to take an image of a tooth and with the use of a computer, map out a drawing of the tooth with all of its subtle colors and shade variations.. For all of the art students out there, this device takes into consideration the hue, value, and chroma of the tooth and gives our lab technicians all of the information they need to construct an exact replica of your neighboring teeth. There are no longer any reasons that you cannot be 100% satisfied with the cosmetic results of work performed on your teeth.
Laser Diagnosis

One of the most important things we do for our patients is to identify and restore teeth with decay. Since even the smallest areas of decay can threaten the integrity of the entire tooth, finding and restoring cavities is the key to preventing future problems. We "poke and prod" with explorers to try to feel cavities in fissure lines or chewing surfaces. These mechanical exploratory methods are only 50-75% effective. Our digital radiographs help us with our diagnosis a great deal. We now have a revolutionary method in detecting decay called the Diagnodent.

Diagnodent technology uses a simple laser diode to inspect your teeth, comparing reflection wavelength against a known healthy baseline wavelength to uncover decay. First we aim the laser onto one of your healthy enamel tooth surfaces to give us a baseline reading. We then continue on around your mouth, shining the laser into all suspect areas. As the laser pulses into grooves, fissures, and cracks, it reflects fluorescent light of a specific wavelength. This reflected light is measured by receptors and converted into an acoustic signal and is evaluated electronically to reveal a value between one and one hundred. If the laser encounters a decayed area, it will reflect emission of light of a different wavelength. A reading of over 30 indicates a definite area of decay and would require a filling.

This technology will allow us to catch areas of decay sooner and with more precision. This will help prevent the spread of decay and allow us to provide simple, more minimally invasive fillings, thus preserving tooth structure.

Air Abrbasion

Air abrasion was developed around 1950. It removes decay by bombarding the tooth with a pressurized stream of microscopic abrasive powder. The powder is made of aluminum oxide particles. The air abrasion process works like a "sand blaster." Air abrasion offers an alternative to the high-speed handpiece (a.k.a. dental drill) for some simple dental procedures. It is very quiet and produces much less heat or vibration compared to a dental drill. Some small cavities can be prepared using air abrasion without the need for local anesthesia. This makes it possible for patients to have several teeth prepared in a single dental visit without residual mouth numbness. Air abrasion may be particularly useful to treat children with shallow tooth decay.

Air abrasion does have some limitations. Because of the way the air abrasion unit prepares the tooth, only tooth-colored composite resin can be used to fill the cavity. Air abrasion also cannot adequately prepare a tooth for crowns or fillings between teeth. It is not expected to replace the dental drill. The dental drill still has much more versatile applications. Air abrasion is best used to prepare small, shallow cavities for composite fillings.

We will update this section on our web site as new advances are introduced.
Keep returning to our site to read about the newest products and techniques.

Office Location 11722 Studt, St. Louis, MO 63141-6819
Phone(314) 567-5612
Fax (314) 567-9047