Bringing revolution in dental care

Published in Weekend, 2006

By Francis P Barclay

Not contended with the traditional system of treatment Dr Vijayalakshmi was searching for something new that could be truely beneficial to her patients. Soon her quest ended with acquiring the latest treatment mechanism called Microscope Enhanced Dentistry. Today, standing in front of the sophisticated microscope, imported from Germany, in her `Aishwarya Dental Clinic' at RS Puram, Coimbatore she feels proud of having a machine, which may not be available with even one percent of US dentists.
Attached to the machine are among others a light source, video camera and a digital still camera. The camera, which can take the magnified picture of a tooth - up to 20 times of its normal size - helps in spotting even the tiny
rots and damages in tooth. The patient can also see what the dentist does in his/her mouth. The microscope is thus ideal to perform risky treatments.
Says Vijayalakshmi, ``Conducting surgery in mouth is a very risky job, for any damage to the root or the nearby bone would lead to small cracks. Here comes the importance of this microscope. About 85 percent of the
endodontists in the US are now trained in the use of it.''
She is also exploring the possibilities of the multiple use of this machine. ``The use of microscopes in surgical specialties has already been established. It has, in fact, improved the quality of treatment in ENT, neuro-surgery and plastic surgery,'' she says.
On dentistry, she says that the awareness among people about dental care has to be increased. ``People rush to a dentist only after the tooth starts giving problems. If the problems are spotted and treated well in advance, one can lead a happy life.'' she adds.
Of late, parents bring their children for preventive treatment. ``The children are taught about the apt way of brushing and maintaining hygiene. They get interested to see the structure of their teeth on a wider screen and realise the complications involved in improper brushing and poor hygiene,'' she says.
Vijayalakshmi, who worked for five years in many centres of excellence in UK and Ireland, gave an lecture on `Microscope Enhanced Dentistry: It's a Small World' at the fourth international meet and scientific session,
organised by Academy of Microscope Enhanced Dentistry (AMED), at Tucson, Arizona, USA. She was the only Indian to talk in the meeting.
She also delivered a lecture on the same subject at the recently-held 59th Indian Dental Conference organised by the Indian Dental Association in Ludhiana.
Vijayalakshmi, who is all set to popularise Microscope Enhanced Dentistry, can be contacted on 0422 2550458/5368458, 98422 68388.