Dental Technology
To improve the quality of our dental services, we have added technological advances to aid in the delivery of these services. Listed below are some examples.
Wand STA-Single tooth anesthesia
Having your teeth numbed for a pain free restorative procedure is wonderful, but dealing with a numb lip, tongue and cheek for a couple of hours afterward is a bummer. A computerized anesthetic delivery system called the Wand STA allows us to anesthetize a single tooth for procedures lasting under an hour without getting your lip, tongue and cheek numb. For longer or multiple tooth procedures, we still recommend conventional anesthesia techniques which are also delivered using the Wand STA.
Digital Radiography (X-ray)
We currently use a digital intraoral x-ray system which captures images on a sensor, then transfers and stores the information on a cloud server. Advantages of digital x-rays over film are that they require significantly less radiation to capture the image. The image is viewed on a large computer screen instead of tiny plastic film. This increases our ability to diagnose problems that may not be readily visible on film. Patients can usually see for themselves where problems exist. We also use cloud based imaging software that allows us access and view from anywhere with a computer and internet access.
Soft Tissue Diode Laser
When the need arises for a minor surgical procedure on soft tissue, the Diode laser provides us with a quick and easy solution. The laser is able to cut and cauterize soft tissue at the same time, so there is no bleeding and patients report little to no discomfort. Restorative procedures can be completed more efficiently and without additional visits.
Ultrasonic cleaning
For patients who have heavy calculus/tarter (calcium deposit) build up or staining, we utilize a device called an ultrasonic scaler to aid in cleaning. This machine utilizes high frequency vibration to dislodge calculus and stain instead of requiring lots of manual tooth scraping using hand instruments. This decreases the time required for a thorough cleaning. The machine also sprays a warm antibacterial mouthrinse that aids in eliminating microorganisms.