The tiny camera and intense light source are mounted within a pen-sized casing. The camera broadcasts its image to a wall-mounted monitor utilizing wireless technology. Using a foot pedal, the dentist can freeze and save digital images of the mouth's interior, McAllister said. These images can be magnified on the computer. Digital X-rays are also an up and coming technology, McAllister said.
Software enables a complex manipulation of the image to facilitate diagnosis.
McAllister said he has postponed purchasing a digital X-ray machine because of clarity issues and the technology's dependence on computers. His office eventually will switch over to digital X-rays, he said. Lasers are being used for everything from cavity preparation to root canal disinfection, but McAllister said he believes one of the laser's most useful applications in dentistry is in helping to diagnose decay under the surface of tooth enamel. Another excellent dental option is the mercury-free composite filling that can be used instead of silver amalgams to cover cavity holes, McAllister said. The tooth-colored fillings are being made with stronger materials, and many patients are replacing their old silver fillings with these more aesthetically pleasing alternatives, he said.