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Plasma Needle to Replace Dentist's Drill
dylanduck writes "From the New Scientist Tech article: "Sticking a needle with a flaming plasma tip into your mouth may not at first strike you as much of an improvement on conventional dentistry. However, the plasma needle, which is cold and painless to the touch, could be just the panacea we have been waiting for.""
To me, it seems like the pain involved with getting cavities filled is due to the high frequency vibrations caused by the drill, not the actual drilling itself. While I have my reservations about having a plasma tip stuck into my mouth, I guess I'd be willing to give it a go.
Of course, I don't plan on having any more cavities, so...
"You will pay for your lack of vision..." - Emperor Palpatine to Ray Charles
This "plasma needle" apparently will be good at killing bacteria and surgical cuts. It does use Nitric Oxide to function however, which is poisonous to inhale.
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
1 John 4:14
The worst part of having my mouth operated on was the taste of burning flesh from the laser's cauterizing sticking around for days. This makes me wonder if something like this plasma needle could forego the one side effect that isn't easily averted with things like painkillers.
do you know squarepusher?
Will it still have that "WHIIIIIRRRRR" sound?
:).
That is most likely the number one most feared sound in America. Not a police siren. Not a gun shot. Not a cry of pain. The dentist's drill.
As a kid, there was nothing like that sound to make me remember to brush my teeth (well, for a few days, at least.)
Even as an adult, the sound makes me cringe whenever I go to the dentist (which, granted, hasn't been for a few years
I recently had a minor cavity "sandblasted" out and filled with no anathesia or shots.
Only took a brief moment and was quite painless. Sitting in the chair for 10 minutes prior listening to the machine run a pump to keep the pressure level was the worst part. It ran in cycles of air compressor running, then listening to air "leaking" out, then running again.
I think that could replace water torture if used for an extended period.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
One of the articles linked above says that the needle only temporarily seperates cells. So wouldn't it be great for microsurgery that heals even better? You could make a "cut" with the plasma needle, and then when you extracted it, the cells would glue back together like nothing happened.
Google: "All your data are belong to us."
My last trip to the dentist involved driling and excising my 3rd right molar from my upper set of teeth. Needles don't bother me (hell I count how many times they have to poke and inject me just to gauge how much of a tolerance I've built up to such anesthetics,) nor does having to suck gas or hearing the whine of the drill. What does bother me, is that my teeth, even when decaying, are rather strong. The drill bit broke in my mouth without the dentist realizing it. She went right on ahead with a broken drill in my mouth to remove my tooth. A week later, while in Texas on vacation, I take a drag off of a cigarette, and something moves around in the cavity where the tooth once existed. A little fishing around with my tongue in the hole, and out comes the broken drillbit. Do you knwo what those things look like under a microscope? Imagine an allen wrench - now grab both ends and twist until it spirals. Sharpen the edges, THEN SERRATE them. That is what these drill bits look like.
Sorry for the story - but it's about damned time we had drill-less drilling/dentistry. And without heat, we're fairly well-set on the way to needing less anesthetics in this field of medical science. GO PLASMA!!!
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
A friend of mine in dentistry tells me that general medical technology that can't find a market sometimes gets rebranded as dental solutions. Lasers were the example he studied.
Innovation makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old regime... -- Machiavelli
Academy of Laser Dentistry
Laser dentistry eliminates many of the common complaints of traditional dentistry. A laser device replaces the rotary tool and can be used for everything from surgery to tooth bleaching. The only addition to the procedure is the requirement of protective glasses to shield the eyes from the laser beam. A laser doesn't make any noise and doesn't require physical contact with your teeth. Water isn't usually needed but air suction is used to keep the treated area cool.
I have read that often anesthesia is not needed since the laser doesn't produce the heat or vibration of the drill. It also avoids micro-fractures that may weaken the tooth down the road.
On that site you can search for dentists in your area.
Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.