Method and laser apparatus for preventing tooth decay
AssigneeNocari, LLC
InventorsColette Cozean, Lynn Powell, Samir Nammour
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for preventing tooth decay by treating the tooth surface, including the occlusal surface and unexposed surfaces such as subgingival, interproximal, and contact areas, with a laser with a coherent or noncoherent light source are described. This process makes the tooth more resistant to acid and better able to bond fluoride, thus requiring a lower concentration of fluoride. The method allows the treatment to penetrate deeper into the tooth then previously accomplished with other methods and can be used in a dental office or at home.
Claims30
A method of treating a living tooth in a mammal's mouth, comprising:
- irradiating the unexposed and occlusal surfaces of said tooth with light having a wavelength in the range of between from about 400 nm to about 810 nm, and an energy and an energy density sufficient to vaporize water and organic material without damaging the pulp of the tooth.
An apparatus for the treatment of a tooth, comprising
- a handpiece having a longitudinal axis;
- a light source having a wavelength in the range of between from about 400 mu to about 810 nm;
- wherein said handpiece is adapted to output light from said laser transversely to said longitudinal axis to provide an output light beam, said handpiece further adapted to provide at least two different spot sizes for said output beam, one of said spot sizes being relatively large and sized to treat lingual and buccal surfaces of the tooth, the other of the spot sizes being relatively small and sized to treat at least interproximal surfaces of the teeth;
- and
- wherein the light emitted by said light source has a power which provides an energy and energy density for said output beam sufficient to vaporize water and organic material in the tooth enamel without damaging the pulp of the tooth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.