# Dentist's Decay detector **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964 "2013-06-14T03:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/1 "2013-06-14T03:08:56Z")
So I went in to have a cavity filled for the first time in years today. Pretty much the same as always, except one new thing. After drilling and prodding he asked the assistant to do something that was obviously from the actions a stain or something to make sure he had gotten all the nasty out. Seemed kind of cool, but seeing as how It’s kind of hard to carry on a conversation with a numb mouth and numerous instruments in my mouth, I made sure to remember the name to look it up and what it does when I got home. But uhh… i forgot it :smack: It was a simple one word name. He just said something like “Can you do the XXXX now?” And she put some on. Anybody have an idea what the name probably was? ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/2 "2013-06-14T03:19:47Z")
Caries? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/3 "2013-06-14T03:48:49Z")
No, it was the name of the substance I think. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/4 "2013-06-14T14:18:03Z")
[Etch](http://leeannbrady.com/esthetic-dentistry/why-do-we-etch-dentin)? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/5 "2013-06-14T14:33:49Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > [Etch](http://leeannbrady.com/esthetic-dentistry/why-do-we-etch-dentin)? That’s probably it. Having had a couple of cavities in the past couple of years, they’ve changed up how they’re done- they etch the dentin, then use some sort of bonding agent, and then build up layers of resin that are hardened with a little UV light, and then finally shape and fit it with the drill. It’s a whole lot different than the old drill and jam amalgam in style of fillings I got 20-25 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/6 "2013-06-14T17:51:16Z")
He did do the etch preparer stuff to but that was after the detector stuff. It was actually in all. 1. Detector 2. Etcher 3 Desensitiser 4 Donder 5 Three sets of filling and light. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/7 "2013-06-14T17:58:17Z")
Bonder not Donder ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/8 "2013-06-15T03:33:53Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > 3 Desensitiser. I’d hope the painkillers came BEFORE he started drilling and mucking around with the tooth. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dentists-decay-detector/660964/9 "2013-06-15T04:02:20Z")
Hehe, no it’s some kind of permanent layer that is supposed to buffer the nerves so they aren’t so sensitive to hot and cold through the filling.