Soundwaves May Detect Early Dental Decay

'
ABC news is reporting that sound waves could soon be used to identify the early stages of tooth decay, a process that often relies on the use of painful and damaging probes according to Australian PhD researcher, David Hsiao-Chuan Wang from the University of Sydney in Australia. Dr. Wang and his colleagues reported their findings in the most recent issue of the Journal Optics Express.

Tooth decay begins by acid-forming bacteria eating away at the enamel, causing minerals to leach from it, softening and weakening the tooth. Dentists sometimes identify this demineralisation by seeing a change in the colour of the tooth, or by looking at x-rays while other times, they use sharp probes that test the hardness of the enamel and find where the rot has set in. Unfortunately these probes can be painful and cause unnecessary damage to the teeth.