Dental Technology
Technology has become a huge part of the dental profession just like it has in every facet of life. There have been great advances in almost all areas of dentistry from the way we examine teeth to the way we restore teeth. So, we use the latest equipment to make sure we understand your mouth so we can meet your dental needs.
Implant dentistry is the most advanced therapy available to replace missing teeth. Dental implant restorations generally look, feel and act like natural teeth.
3i Dental Implants
Implant dentistry is the most advanced therapy available to replace missing teeth. Dental implant restorations generally look, feel, and act like natural teeth.
Dental implants may offer you important advantages compared to other treatment options. Improved health and enhanced appearance may both lead to greater self-confidence and a better quality of life. Ask us today if you are a candidate for dental implants.
To read more about Implants, click here.
Digital X-Rays
DEXIS is our digital x-ray system that reduces the amount of radiation you receive by over 80% compared to traditional x-rays.
Our practice is committed to bringing the safest and highest quality of care to our patients. The installation of our new digital X-ray system continues that commitment. Using the state-of-the-art DEXIS system enables us to provide greatly improved diagnostic capabilities to our patients while significantly lessening their exposure to radiation by up to 80 percent over the old film X-rays. We know this will be very important to many patients.
While traditional film X-rays have been the standard for diagnosing dental problems for the past 90 years, digital X-rays offer substantial benefits over film. Our patients find that the x-ray process is more comfortable than film. Digital x-rays are also a real time-saver over the old technology.
Digital X-ray technology also enables our patients to see their dental condition for themselves. The digital X-ray image is instantly displayed on a large computer screen and can be enhanced and magnified to show conditions such as cavities or structural weaknesses in teeth. It’s a wonderful tool for helping patients fully understand their treatment options.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a medication that can help make your appointment more pleasant.
Nitrous oxide is simply a gas which you can breathe in and breathe out. It’s colorless, sweet smelling, non-irritating, and it allows for safer, quicker, and more comfortable dental care. It allows our patients to breathe a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen while enjoying a remarkable depth of relaxation. It virtually eliminates the fear, nervousness, and tension associated with dental procedures. You remain in complete control, you are conscious, and you can follow directions.
Advantages of Laughing Gas
What are the advantages? Laughing gas, which is what nitrous oxide is sometimes referred to, works very rapidly. It reaches the brain within 20 seconds, and relaxation and pain-killing properties develop after two or three minutes.
The depth of sedation can be altered from moment to moment, allowing us to increase or decrease the depth of sedation. Other sedation techniques don’t allow for this. For example, with intravenous (IV) sedation it is easy to deepen the level of sedation but difficult to lessen it. With gas, the effects are almost instantaneous. Other sedation techniques have a fixed duration of action because the effects of pills or IV drugs last for a specific span of time whereas gas can be given for the exact time span it’s needed for. It can also be switched off when not needed and then switched on again. Although to avoid a roller coaster effect this should not be done too abruptly.
With nitrous oxide it is easy to give incremental doses until the desired action is obtained. This is called titration. We have virtually absolute control over the action of the drug – preventing the possibility of accidental overdoses. While giving incremental doses is possible with IV sedation, it’s not possible with oral sedation. As a result, oral sedation can be bit of a hit and miss affair. For certain procedures, especially those involving soft tissues such as scaling and root planing, inhalation sedation such as nitrous oxide may be used instead of local anesthesia. Nitrous oxide acts as a painkiller; however, its pain-relieving effects may vary from person to person.