Despite the negative stereotypes of dental care in Eastern Kentucky, Salyersville was one of the first towns in the United States to offer a state-of-the art, non-evasive cavity treatment.

With traditional cavity treatment, the dentist must use a drill and anesthetic to remove not only the cavity, but also part of the healthy tooth. The procedure can take hours and often multiple appointments. Since the fillings can stain, as well as come out, future dental work is often necessary.

Richard Connelley, DMD, who has a private practice in Johnson and Magoffin counties, was asked to participate in the clinical trials for Icon®, the product used for the procedure because of his past work with the DMG America company as one of the only testing dentists in the United States. He said he only knew of two or three other private practice dentists in the country that participated, with the majority being universities.

Connelley, along with his assistant Joaquinna Rice, DLT, EDDA, chose regular patients between the ages of 15 and 35 for the clinical trials. The cavities had to be in the early stages and they preferred patients who come back every six months so they can monitor the status over time.

Thirty patients and 72 lesions later, Connelley sent his findings back to DMG Germany, the main company that developed the technique, for review.

He said they told him he had gathered more research than all the universities that had participated combined.

He found that the nanotechnology allows them to restore the tooth back to its original state, with no drilling or anesthetic required.

The product seals off the oxygen supply, killing the cavity-causing bacteria, thus, no more cavities. This only works for small to medium cavities.

The patented process, which involves the Icon ® product and trade secrets, takes around a half an hour and costs about the same amount as drilling and filling, Connelley said.

The remineralization process puts the tooth back to the way it was before, requiring no removal of healthy tooth.

“Anytime you drill, as a dentist, there’s always the worry of whether you are doing more harm than good,” Connelley said.

Connelley’s research was featured on the show “The Doctors,” a TV show based out of Manhattan, New York.

“I’m glad the kids we have here in Eastern Kentucky were able to get something that’s not available anywhere – our kids are getting that quality of work,” Connelley said.

As of the beginning of this year, the treatment is FDA approved and on the market for any dentist in the United States to use, with training.