Advanced Technology

Intraoral Scanner/Digital Impressions

At our practice, we utilize an intraoral scanner, which means physical “goop” impressions are a thing of the past! They work by projecting a light source into the patient’s mouth, capturing thousands of images with sensors, and processing them with software to create a 3D model. The data can then be sent to dental labs to create restorations, dentures, nightguards, sleep appliances, and more. The intraoral scanner does not use radiation to capture the images. Digital impressions are also more accurate than physical impressions and are also much more comfortable for the patient!

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide, known to many as laughing gas, is the most commonly used form of sedation in dentistry. It is administered by having the patient inhale the gas, which is carefully monitored by your doctor. You will fall into a euphoric state and feel completely relaxed. All feelings of fear and anxiety fade away, leaving you to sit back peacefully while your dental procedure is performed. In most cases all dental work can be completed in one visit while you are sedated.

Nitrous oxide sedation is very safe and effective. Once the procedure is over the nitrous oxide will wear off fairly quickly, and you will probably be able to drive yourself home and return to your daily activities.

You will need to have a preliminary visit with your dentist to make sure that you are an eligible candidate for nitrous sedation. If you have been worried about your next dental visit its time to stop! Ask us about sedation dentistry and schedule your appointment today.

CBCT

At our practice, we use Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). This very impressive piece of imaging machinery is capable of identifying many issues and structures that a normal x-ray is not. With traditional intraoral x-rays, the image is in 2D, allowing us to see only one viewpoint. With CBCT, we are able to see the entirety of the image in 3D, allowing us to better diagnose and treat our patient. To obtain the 3D x-ray, you will stand or sit in a chair with your chin on a small ledge. Once positioned in the machine, it will rotate around your entire head taking a full 360 degree view of the teeth, head, sinuses and bones.

The ability to view the full structure of your head as a whole is very informative to the dentist. It will allow us to see any potential problems and make sure that everything is functioning as it should be. CBCT is very useful in planning dental implant placement, completing difficult root canal therapy procedures, and many other procedures in dentistry. We are excited to bring this technology to our practice to better serve you!

Rotary Endodontics

Endodontics, more commonly known as root canal, is a procedure where the roots or nerves of the tooth are removed. This is often due to the fact that they are infected and the tooth is causing pain.

Rotary Endodontics is a way of performing the root canal utilizing a specific electrical handpiece. This tool often makes the process faster and allows the dentist to perform the process with greater ease.

Electric Handpieces

There are basically two types of handpieces, air-driven and electric. Electric handpieces are much stronger than air-driven due to the fact that a motor is spinning the bur as opposed to air. This allows the doctor to remove decay at a faster pace. This will cut down on the time it takes to complete a procedure.

Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screenings are a very important part of the dental visit for the patient. With the advances in modern technology, we are now able to pinpoint the start of a potential problem much earlier in its evolution. The ability to do so is extremely important in being able to treat any issues prior to them becoming a major irreversible problem.

The oral cancer screening is often completed with an ultraviolet light or similar device that allows us to view issues that can’t always be detected by the human eye under normal conditions.

Certain lifestyle choices can have a great impact on the health of tissues and your overall health in the mouth. If you are a smoker or heavy drinker, make sure to get regular screenings when you visit the dentist.

Digital X-Ray

Digital x-rays are quickly becoming adopted by a large percentage of the dental industry. A digital x-ray allows the dentist to take an image of the tooth or teeth and put it into an imaging program. Within this imaging program, there are a number of tools that will allow the dentist to take a very close look at the teeth and surrounding structures with amazing accuracy. As a benefit to the patient, the digital x-ray also provides nearly 80% less radiation than a standard x-ray. This is due to the fact that the digital version of the x-ray is much more sensitive to this radiation and has been specifically designed with the patient in mind.