European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 22, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 22, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17 laser dentistry painless tooth repair by Gayle Young United press International t technology is coming to the Aid of those of us who avoid dental treatment for fear twill  have come up with two separate methods of treating dental problems that Are painless to the patient. In one method tooth decay is removed with a laser and in the other it is removed with a chemical solution. Dentists who got previews of the two methods at an american dental association convention said the treatments could help the estimated millions of americans who Are losing their Teeth to decay because they Are afraid to get their cavities filled. And the treatments May help the dentists As Well. Surveys from the american dental association estimate 12 million americans Are dental phonics and 35 million will cancel dental appointments this year because they Are afraid of pain. This is the most exciting time in dentistry said or. Allen r. Heifer a dentist who practices in Stamford Conn. We be made significant advancements that will probably change the profession  dentists Hope the treatments just emerging from the testing stage will be reasonable alternatives to the painful and time consuming process of drilling cavities. When Teeth decay pockets of dead bacterial matter form inside the tooth to create cavities. To prevent the decay from spreading like rust dentists have traditionally had to use a High Speed Drill to carve away the dead material away from the healthy portion of the tooth. The decay called caries has the consistency of leather and is bonded to the healthy part of the tooth. To ensure they get All of it out dentists sometimes have to Cut into the nerve filled healthy tissue. When it is All Over the cavity is filled. It can be Tough going for both us and the patients said Heifer. He is also a researcher at the Leahy clinic in Burlington mass., where studies Are under Way on the utilization of lasers in dentistry. The lasers which can vaporize material with an intensely concentrated beam of Light Are already used by ophthalmologists in delicate Eye surgery and Are increasingly seen in hospitals around the country. At different Power Levels they Are Able to destroy some types of materials without harming others and the beam of Light can make such a delicate Cut it is painless to the patient. We Are working on the right combination of Power that will remove the decay but not harm the healthy tissue said Heifer. As we vaporize with the laser we Are also sterilizing which has the added Benefit of preventing further  dental lasers Are already used in Israel France and other countries but Heifer said it will be a year or two before they can be expected in the United states. An important part of this is making the system Cost Erma Bombeck effective said Heifer who said the laser equipment will probably be available to dentists at a Cost of $800. The chemical solution which has the Trade name carides is a combination of sodium and acid that reportedly softens decayed areas of the Teeth while leaving healthy enamel and tissue intact. Toxicological evaluations and preclinical testing have shown it to be Safe and effective said or. Melvin Goldman a researcher at Tufts University school of Medicine in Massachusetts. He has worked with the solution for several years. We be never had a report of an Adverse Side  the solution is pumped onto the affected tooth and allowed to seep in for several minutes while it softens the decay into a wet pulp said Goldman. The pulp can then be brushed away. Because decayed and healthy tooth matter have different physical properties the chemical is Able to destroy one without harming the other he said eliminating the need to Drill. In one of the 17 studies performed on the chemical Only 13 percent of the patients asked for anaesthesia during the process and 95 percent said they would recommend the chemical procedure to others. Because it is a faster process it saves both the dentist and patient time said Goldman. An appointment to fill cavities May take minutes rather than  place Brush head alongside Teeth with bristle tips angled at gum line. Brush insides of front Teeth with the toe or front part of the Brush. From your child s Teeth by Stephen j. Moss . Use dental floss to clean the sides of the Teeth. Floss goes under the gum line. It must clean tooth surfaces on both sides of every space. W rating is pure  s a fact. Those of us do it for living Are Able to Retreat into our own silent world of words and play mental Roulette with them. Nothing gets through to us. We Are unaffected by doorbells singing Birds blood curdling screams weather laughter children whining i m telling pulsating washers crashing Glass persistent telephones and slammed doors. Distractions Are a luxury. Concentration is our life. In More than 20 years of writing there Are Only two things that will seduce me from my thoughts and compel me to lose my focus. One of them is the  out of my Nail polish. It s a Small distraction at first. Nothing More than a Small part of my Nail showing. I Type a Little. Pick a Little. Type a Little. Pick a Little. Then i put another Nail under the polish and begin to work off a big piece. When it happens there is euphoria. The typewriter is turned off and i go at it with the vengeance of a shirt maker on piece work. I. Promise myself that when i get that entire Nail clean i will get Back to work. This will not happen. I m on a Roll and i know it. I also know i will not Stop until the entire five nails Are picked clean of old polish. Valuable minutes go by As i use every resource i have to get that polish off. I use my Teeth to work on the stubborn spots a letter opener to get near the cuticle. To walk into the bathroom and get polish remover is a sign of weakness. Unless you Challenge yourself How can you expect anyone to have respect for you when the polish is gone from an entire hand the typewriter is switched on and once again you try to cloister yourself with your thoughts. But the Well manicured hand twists and displays itself like a seductive hypnotist. You will not be Able to concentrate until every Nail is undressed. You turn off the typewriter and begin to scrape and scratch. Are you ready for lunch of course you re not ready for lunch. Do you want to talk to your agent agent who two Coats of polish plus a base and an overcoat plus a Quick dry solution will take anywhere from an hour to three hours to pick off depending on motivation skill and pressure. I suppose there Are a lot of people out there Reading this who Are saying Why Don t you just leave Nail polish off in the first place then your creativity and discipline would not be in jeopardy. I be thought of that but it would t matter. You see there s this other distraction. I be got this piece of hair right there at the Nape of my neck that is driving me crazy. From the moment i touch it it seems to grow and grow. Sometimes i have to turn off the typewriter and stand in front of the Mirror and see if it matches the other Side. Does it look uneven to you i m going to get the scissors and.-. C 1986, los Angeles times Syndicate