Seen At 11: Digital Dentistry Could Make Your Next Appointment Pain-Free

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New high-tech tools could make your next dentist appointment pain-free and a lot more enjoyable.

Instead of using a traditional X-ray, which can be cumbersome for patients, dentists like Dr. Lana Rozenberg have started using laser pens.

As CBS2's Maurice DuBois reported, the pens can detect cavities within seconds, and determine how severe they are.

"It gives you a number, and those numbers tell you how deep the decays is," Dr. Rozenberg said.

To the relief of one recent patient, the cavity was small making it easy to treat. Dr. Rozenberg said it would not have been discovered the old-fashioned way.

"I'm not happy about it, but I'm glad it could be detected this early," Jill York said.

Experts said the new tool -- called the Diagnodent -- is one of many in a cachet of high-tech dentistry breakthroughs which also includes a 3D dental scan.

The rotating machine allows dentists to not only examine a patient's teeth three-dimensionally, but also the nerves, bones, and sinuses.

"To help diagnose people that have sleep issues whether it's apnea, snoring, arrested breathing, whatever the condition is it shows us," Dr. Rozenberg said.

The new scanner takes digital impressions of each tooth.

"And gives us an exact image of what it looks like. No gagging, no material to wait for it to set, and it's always perfect," Dr. Rozenberg explained.

Other advancements include #D printed crowns, bridges, even dentures.

Years ago dentists would shine a flashlight on a tooth to try and find imperfections.

"If it reflects light, it's healthy enamel. If it's absorbed, there's decay," Dr. Rozenberg explained.

Now, new devices like the Carivu glide across the teeth to detect even the smallest of cracks.

"The improvements have been so advanced, it's unbelievable," Dr. Rozenberg said.

"Quick, easy, painless, that's what everybody wants when they come to the dentist," York said.

Dentists said traditional X-rays will still be used, especially on teeth that have already been filled.