When you choose a dentist, what qualities are you looking for? Do you want a dentist who is knowledgeable and skilled, and who provides excellent results? What about a caring attitude – is that what you’re looking for? Or are you more concerned about having a dentist that explains everything so that you understand what to expect? Maybe the most important thing to you is time – you don’t have time to waste, so you’re looking for someone who is quick and efficient. How about the latest technology? Is it important to you to find a dentist who is cutting edge? What if you could have it all? You don’t have to give up kindness for skill, and technology often goes hand in hand with excellence.
Today we can enjoy dentistry that is quicker, more comfortable, and more efficient. Technology facilitates the care, techniques, and experiences that lead to better dentistry. Treatment that may have taken an extended amount of time or multiple visits in the past can now be done quickly and efficiently. Improved comfort and reduced recovery time are just two of the benefits realized. Additionally, many of the new diagnostic tools available not only allow the dentist to visualize your gums and teeth better, but also offer an opportunity for you to see both the problems and the results of your treatment while you are still sitting in the chair. Whether it is a quieter handpiece or digital X-rays, Dedicated Dental utilizes the latest technology to improve your experience and provide you with excellent dental care.
Quiet Handpieces
Often, when you say dentist, the first thing that comes to mind is the drill they use. But if you’ve ever experienced the drill, it’s really the noise that scares people. However, technology has greatly reduced the amount of noise associated with dental work. High speed, air-driven handpieces (or as you know them, drills) are quieter, and are more precise, giving us better outcomes. Because of a well-balanced turbine, this drill reduces the frequency (or pitch) of the noise generated, thus decreasing anxiety. The well balanced ball bearings create minimal vibration, allowing for greater precision for the dentist, and a more pleasant environment for the patient.
Intraoral Camera
Have you ever tried to take a picture inside of your mouth? Even as smartphones are decreasing in size, the view would still be pretty limited. However, new intraoral cameras, about the size of a toothbrush, allow the dentist 3-dimensional visualization of the inside of your mouth. Gum disease, mouth sores, and cracked teeth are just some of the things your dentist will be able to see and examine with this device. Additionally, the images can be viewed on a flat screen TV so that you too can see what is going on. This allows you to more fully understand what is happening in your mouth and how treatment will help. Patients that are informed are not only more satisfied, but through participation in their care, they generally have better outcomes.
Panoramic X-Rays
Panoramic X-rays do exactly what they sound like they do. They are able to take X-rays of the full landscape of your mouth and jaw. That means that they allow the dentist to look at a broad view of your jaws, teeth, sinuses, nasal passages, and temporomandibular (TMJ) joint. The resulting images can be used to identify problems with your TMJ, fractures, tumors or growths, infections, cysts and impacted teeth. The process is simple, with a high quality panoramic machine that is motorized and centrally controlled, making positioning easy, comfortable, and safe. The information gathered from these tests will aid your dentist in planning the best treatment for you. Again, you will also be able to view the images, helping you understand your diagnosis and plan of care.
Digital Oral X-rays
Historically, X-rays have played an important role in dental healthcare. They give the dentist the opportunity to look “through” your teeth and jaw, to detect imperfections like decay, bone loss, or fractures that may otherwise not be visible to the naked eye. Follow-up X-rays can also be used to monitor the results of dental treatment.
There are a number of different views that the dentist will take to look at your teeth and jaw from different angles. Bitewing X-rays provide single views of the upper and lower back teeth so that decay or bone loss can be detected. Periapical X-rays expose the entire tooth, including the root and bone of the jaw, so that the dentist can evaluate for problems below the gums, like abscesses or impacted teeth. Occlusal X-rays obtain views of the roof or floor of the mouth so that extra teeth, fractures, or abscesses can be found. While these views may be traditional tools for the dentist, today’s digital X-rays have many benefits over the films that were taken in the past. First, they require less radiation than conventional X-rays. They also provide quick results that can be sent to a screen so your dentist can explain them to you, and then can be saved to your chart. Finally, they are much more precise, decreasing the chance that something may be missed.
Automatic Vital Sign Monitoring
Your dentist is an integral member of your healthcare team, and as such, your health and safety are of the highest concern. Dental procedures can be stressful for anyone at any age. Additionally, each patient is unique, with individual needs. You may have other health problems that have to be taken into consideration as we treat your dental disease. That is why we monitor your vital signs electronically, during procedures. If there is any change that occurs during treatment that needs to be addressed, we want to be alerted immediately, so that we can respond appropriately.
To find out more about the latest technology that we are utilizing to provide better dentistry, or if you have any other dental concerns you would like to discuss, please call Dedicated Dental today at (702) 566-5509, or request your appointment online.
