Technology
CEREC Dentistry (Including Crowns, Inlays & Onlays)
CEREC is an acronym for Charismatic Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. This high-tech equipment allows us to restore damaged teeth with beautiful custom ceramic restorations in a single visit, completely eliminating the need for multiple appointments over a several-week period.
The research has shown that the least amount of incident exposures of mercury amalgam removal is preferred if possible. Having a CEREC in our office allows us to remove amalgams and restore to completion many more teeth in one visit in much less time.
The process can create a ceramic crown, inlays, onlays, or veneers using 3D photography, computer-aided design, and manufacturing known as CAD/CAM. Using an intra-oral camera, a photograph is taken of the tooth and the picture is loaded onto the computer. Using Computer-Aided Design technology, our doctors design the restoration and transforms the image into a three-dimensional model. They then calculate the appropriate shape and size to create a near-perfect restoration.
When the model is ready, a milling machine then creates the restoration using a high-speed diamond bur and calculated precision. The restoration is then bonded to the tooth using a special resin bonded cement. The result is a beautiful custom-designed metal-free restoration, made entirely to fit your mouth. The doctors at Lori Cardellino, DMD have mastered this technology through extensive educational and clinical training and have adopted it as a standard of care since they introduced the technology to their dental practice.
Jerome J405 Mercury Analyzer
We use the most respected mercury vapor analyzer in the environmental mercury analysis industry. Our main concern is to maintain a mercury-free environment for our staff and patients. We continuously monitor our office mercury levels to ensure everybody’s safety.
Oratec Microscope
Our office is now equipped with a state-of-the-art Phase Contrast Video Microscope. By looking at the kinds of bacteria in your mouth, we can tell in a few minutes whether you’re infected with high risk bacteria much earlier than was possible even a few years ago.
If you are infected, there are several treatment options. We’ll explain the benefits of each to help you make the best treatment decision based on your personal needs and financial situation. In addition to traditional treatments, including surgery, there are also newer, alternative treatment options, including anti-infective combinations of professional and home care. The final choice in our practice is always yours.
DIAGNOdent
Isn’t it frustrating when one dentist tells you you have a cavity and another says you don’t? Or worse, you go regularly to the dentist, and all of the sudden the dentist says you have a large cavity that is seen on an x-ray? In our office, we use a laser to take the guesswork out of cavity detection. DIAGNOdent is the revolutionary new way to find even the smallest areas of tooth decay. By using this new laser technology, Lori Cardillino, DMD is able to target and treat all of your small problem areas before they turn into larger issues that require more complicated procedures.
We’ve taken our most frequently asked questions about DIAGNOdent and have answered them below. If you still have any other questions about DIAGNOdent and the best ways to prevent tooth decay just contact us for more information.
DIAGNOdent FAQ
Q: Does it hurt?
A: No! DIAGNOdent is completely painless. Its energy level similar to that of a laser pointer, the laser beam is harmless to surrounding tissues.
Q: What are the shortcomings of traditional dental techniques like probing and x-ray imaging?
A: Believe it or not, as much as 50% of tooth decay may go undetected by traditional dental methods of probing and other diagnostic techniques.
Q: How long has this technology been around?
A: While the device has been in use in Europe for several years, the FDA has recently approved the use of the cavity-detecting laser for use by dentists in the U.S.
Q: Where does most tooth decay start today?
A: Today most tooth decay starts in the hard-to-see valleys and canyon-like anatomy of the tooth surface.
Q: Why are these pit and valley cavities more important to detect today than in the past?
A: In the past tooth decay predominated in between teeth. With the widespread use of fluoride, the very nature of tooth decay has changed. The outer surfaces of teeth are strengthened and more resistant. Today the pit and valley cavities are more prevalent than cavities in between teeth.
Q: Why can’t traditional methods like x-rays see these pit and valley cavities?
A: Pit and valley cavities are traditionally the most difficult to detect using x-rays due to the direction the images are taken from. Images are taken from the side of the tooth, which essentially hides the cavity from the dentists view.
Q: If DIAGNOdent is good at finding pit and fissure cavities do I still need x-rays?
A: Yes, x-ray imaging is an indispensable diagnostic tool for dentistry, but if you prefer to use only the Diagnodent our staff is perfectly comfortable using this technology for cavity detection on the surface of your teeth the laser light can reach. X-rays and DIAGNOdent complement each other. X-rays are good at finding cavities in between teeth and on the roots. DIAGNOdent is good at find cavities on the tooths biting surface.
Q: If you can’t see it with your naked eye then why should one be concerned?
A: An almost undetectable area of decay can aggressively penetrate inward towards the soft surfaces of the tooth and literally destroy the tooth from the inside out. This can happen before a cavity is even visible to the naked eye.
Q: Why can’t traditional methods like the dental probe (pick) find these pit and valley cavities?
A: This type of decay can make a diagnosis with traditional methods difficult because the outer tooth surface often appears to be intact and the probe may be too large to detect the cavity.
Q: How does DIAGNOdent work?
A: DIAGNOdent is first calibrated to your unique tooth structure by scanning a cleaned tooth surface with a harmless laser beam. After calibration, a team member will gently scan your teeth. A small countertop unit emits an audio signal and registers a digital read-out, which identifies cavities developing below the surface, the higher the amount of fluorescence detected by the machine, the greater the degree of decay within the tooth.
Q: What is the benefit to me?
A: Because the decay is detected earlier, the number of dental procedures – and hence, the cost – can often be reduced. Its a great way to keep little problems from becoming big problems.
Q: How long does the DIAGNOdent process take?
A: A few minutes are all it takes to scan your entire mouth.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: At Lori Cardellino, DMD, we use the DIAGNOdent laser as a routine part of exams and there is no additional fee associated with the scan.
Q: What is the DIAGNOdent actually measuring?
A: The DIAGNOdent measures laser fluorescence within the tooth structure. As the incident laser light is propagated into the site, two-way handpiece optics allows the unit to simultaneously quantify the reflected laser light energy. At the specific wavelength that the DIAGNOdent laser operates, clean healthy tooth structure exhibits little or no fluorescence, resulting in very low scale readings on the display. However, carious tooth structure will exhibit fluorescence, proportionate to the degree of caries, resulting in elevated scale readings on the display.
Q: Can DIAGNOdent be used around existing composite resin restorations?
A: No. Because composite resins can fluoresce, prompting elevated readings, the DIAGNOdent should not be used on these materials.
Q: Can DIAGNOdent read caries under an existing amalgam?
A: If there is caries at the margin, it will give an accurate reading; however if the caries is under the floor of the amalgam the reading will not be accurate.
Q: Can DIAGNOdent be used on both primary and permanent teeth?
A: Studies have shown the unit is equally accurate in both primary and permanent teeth.
Q: As the device is a laser, is protective eyewear required?
A: No. The device is harmless when used as directed.
Computerized TMJ Analysis
JVA
A very simple principle
Bio-JVA Joint Vibration Analysis is based on simple principles of motion and friction: When smooth surfaces rub together, little friction is created…and little vibration. If these surfaces become rough, then friction and vibration are created when these surfaces articulate
BioJVA™ Fast and Accurate
JVA provides a fast, non-invasive, and repeatable measurement of TMJ function to aid in your diagnosis of TMJ function. Understanding TMJ function is vital anytime you are changing the vertical, lateral, or A/P position of the mandible. Common treatments that change mandibular such as TMD treatment, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Reconstruction and Sleep Dentistry can all from JVA testing.
How it works
Human joints have surfaces that rub together in function. Smooth, well-lubricated surfaces in a proper biomechanical relationship produce little friction and little vibration. But surface changes, such as those caused by degeneration, tears, or displacements of the disk, generally produce friction and vibration. Different disorders can produce different vibration patterns or “signatures”. PC-assisted vibration analysis helps identify these patterns and helps you distinguish among various TM disorders.
Recorded by staff, read by the Doctor
A JVA recording only takes 10 seconds of patient time and less than 3 minutes of staff time. In less than 10 minutes, your staff can be trained to take accurate, repeatable data.
Interpretation is done by the clinician and takes only a few minutes. For those clinicians looking for in-depth education on JVA interpretation, our 3-day TOTAL BioPAK seminar is included with the purchase of a JVA system.
T-Scan
Making Occlusion an Objective science
For years, dental occlusion had been largely a matter of guesswork for dentists. Articulation paper, waxes, pressure indicator paste, etc. were all dentists had to assess and balance the forces of occlusion. Most of these methods are not sensitive enough to detect simultaneous contact, and none measure both biting time and force. We use computer analysis to take the guessing out of how your bite should be. Tekscan met the challenge by developing the T-Scan system T-Scan’s grid-based sensor technology proved so successful at redefining the dental industry.
Occlusal Myths
With articulation paper marks, there is no scientific correlation between the depth of the color and the mark, its surface area, amount of force, or the contact timing sequence that results as that paper mark is made. The T-Scan Occlusal Analysis system quickly and precisely determines the amount of force within a given paper mark. The software graphically displays both forceful and time premature contacts to the user for predictable occlusal control during the adjustment procedure.
Digital Xrays
Less Radiation – The equipment used in digital radiography exposes dental patients to much less radiation. In fact, digital X-rays use up to 90 percent less radiation than film X-rays. While conventional dental X-rays are relatively safe, digital radiography is an excellent option for those who take X-rays on a regular basis or for those who are concerned about radiation.
Higher Quality Images – The standard size of traditional X-rays can make viewing difficult, but digital radiography has done away with the “one size fits all” mentality. Once on the screen, digital X-rays can be enlarged or magnified for a better visual of the tooth’s structure. Brightness, contrast, and color can also be adjusted, allowing your dentist to see small cavities easier. If you need a hard copy of your X-ray, digital images can also be printed out.
Environmentally Friendly – Digital dental X-rays are better for the environment! With digital radiography, no chemicals are used to develop film. There’s also no wasted space in a darkroom and no need to store film, which can pile up in a dentist’s files.
Odyssey Diode Laser
The Odyssey Diode Laser is dentistry’s most user-friendly soft-tissue laser to date. With a simplified control panel, the Odyssey Diode Laser features the latest and finest solid-state diode laser technology, accurate power output, and a consistent wavelength for smooth, precise, clean tissue modification.
The laser creates an intense beam of light energy that moves through a fiber optic cord. When it enters the targeted tissue, the energy is converted into heat as a result of the tissue’s pigmentation. A photo-thermal reaction occurs that results in a much localized thermal effect causing vaporization (or ablation) of this targeted tissue, with very little collateral tissue damage.