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New liquid solution could mean less stress at the dentist office

Your dentist may soon be able to use a simple diagnostic liquid solution on your teeth to determine whether you need a filling or not.

Dr. Douglas Benn, Professor of Dentistry at Creighton University School of Dentistry, explains using this new liquid in combination with x-rays would mean fewer people would have to go through the traditional drill and fill treatment. 

Benn says the liquid will appear white on the x-ray.  If there’s a hole in the tooth, then the white area will show up beneath the surface of the tooth. If there’s no hole in the tooth, the white liquid will show up above the tooth.

"Cavifind will give patients the confidence that any fillings that are recommended are really needed.  And on the other hand, if a dentist says, ‘well there’s a little gray patch there but I think we can safely watch it,’ it will give the patients confidence that the dentist knows what they’re doing and that it’s safe to watch it because a lot of decay doesn’t progress.  It stops by itself.”

Benn says if dentists can catch tooth decay early, it can easily be treated with topical products. 

Dr. Benn has received funding from the National Institutes of Health for this research as well as the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. 

He says Cavifind could be available and ready for use in as little as one year.