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Health and Wellness
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A 40 year tradition of Personal, Affordable Care in an atmosphere of Comfort and Trust ANDREW P. GALANTE, DMD., M.A.G.D. 31-D Mountain Blvd. • Warren, NJ 07059 • 908-561-3939 • www.DrGalante.com In a nation of 215,000 dentists, Dr. Galante is one of only 1,717 who have received a mastership from the Academy of General Dentistry. That mastership is awarded after the taking of 3,000 hours of continuing education. A University of Pennsylvania graduate, Dr. Galante served his country as a dentist during the Vietnam Conflict. After being selected a clinical instructor at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, he started his practice in Warren, NJ in 1974. $39.00 NEW PATIENT OFFER ($229 Value) One Hour Exam X-Rays • Oral Cancer Screen Our Services Include: • Tooth Whitening • Mercury Free Fillings • Implants • Porcelain Crowns and Bridges • Teeth Cleanings • Children’s Dentistry • Sleep Apnea Treatment (Snoring Prevention) • Tooth Grinding & Muscle Spasm Treatment • Relaxation Gas • All Preventative Treatments PARTICIPATES WITH MOST INSURANCE COMPANIES New Technology that ever changing force has permeated all aspects of our lives. It is a truism that new equipment, software and devices drive modern life. New technology has greatly affected the practice of dentistry and the way patients are diag- nosed and treated. I want to touch on a few of the latest and greatest innovations that have helped people get the most preventative and least inva- sive services that can be done at this time. This is State of the Art stuff. First – Caries Detection: decay is still a big problem. Part of the issue is that we don’t see the dis- ease early enough to deal with it. Restorative dentistry is needed in most cases given the late stage of detection. It is useful to examine for decay in very young children to understand where we are and what is needed in detection and risk assessment for all popula- tions. Early childhood caries con- tinues to prevail in epidemic pro- portions. This generally preventa- ble disease is highly morbid and costly. The caries assessment tools that have been used in the past have consisted of x-rays, and direct examinations. Although these tools are still useful; they have some drawbacks. One, visu- ally the decay cannot be seen by the dentist or the hygienist. X-rays although the digital ones are far superior to the old in clarity, and lessoned radiations still some patients are reluctant to use them. So this is where the new technology can play a big roll. More desirable assessment tools would be ones that not only hones in on who is at risk, but can identify the actual diseases and process at a very early stage. What is needed are technologies that can be displayed or deployed to identify the disease process. “Microscopically” at a very young stage as young as age one. The technologies are here and are in many progressive offices. They are laser Fluorescence, infrared, and/ or near ultraviolet spectroscopy. These devices can scan the inside and outside surfaces of the teeth to identify the presence and form of decay in the subsurface of the enamel. (Which is not yet clinical- ly discernable?) Although digital x-rays are the State of the Art for caries detection, the new tech- nologies such as the CARIVU, DIAGNODENT, SOPROLIFE, and SPECTRA are helpful adjuncts to diagnose and prevent a still very common disease. Look for another New Technol- ogy in dentistry the next edition of the Connection Magazine. TECHNOLOGY By: Dr. Andrew P. Galante, D.M.D., M.A.G.D.