Caries Risk Assessment: Are You At Risk for Cavities?

Caries Risk Assessment Carefree Scanner from Gregorin Dental in Anchorage, AKWe can help you prevent cavities before they happen.

Would you like to learn if you are at risk for future cavities, and how to prevent them before they develop? With new dental technology we can measure the levels of cavity causing bacteria in your mouth and help you develop a plan of prevention beyond brushing and flossing.

What are Dental Caries?

Dental caries is the tooth decay that creates a hole or cavity. It is an infection on or in your teeth, caused by bacteria. This bacteria causes soft spots in the hard surfaces of your teeth (enamel, dentin and cementum) forming a permanent hole, called a cavity, that needs to be treated by our dentists.

What is Caries Risk Assessment?

We are using a new machine which performs a susceptibility test called the CariScreen Meter. It is a simple one minute bacterial test that assesses your caries risk, or risk of developing cavities. This device uses bioluminescence which identifies how much oral bacteria is present in your mouth and if it is in the normal range or outside of it. With this information, we are able to help educate you with methods to alter your daily oral health routine and reduce your risk of caries, if necessary.

How Does the CariScreen Meter Work?

The Cariscreen Meter is a quick and painless test. Dr. Gregorin or his hygienist will swab a sample of plaque from your teeth. We take this swab and combine it with bioluminescence, creating a reaction that is then measured with the meter. The CariScreen gives a score between 0 and 9,999. A score under 1,500 is considered healthy, while above that shows considerable risk for decay.

 

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