The digital revolution is exploding around us, and groundbreaking modern technology is improving all aspects of our lives. In the field of dentistry, we are blending the best of yesterday’s tried and true techniques with the most exciting new methods of today. Here are just a few ways that digital technology is revolutionizing dentistry.
Digital Record Keeping and Consultations
Now more than ever before, dentists and patients are able to work together as a truly collaborative team. Digital records require just a tiny fraction of the storage space that paper charts and films needed, allowing dentists to better utilize those areas. Online scheduling lets patients make, change, and cancel appointments as needed. Specialized software allows dentists to consult remotely, in real time, on complex cases.
Websites and social media sites encourage dialogue between and among dentists, staff members, and patients. Any patient with an internet connection can easily research his particular condition and the available options for treatment, while online reviews let patients share their experiences with others.
CAD/CAM Design and 3-D Printing
One of the most frustrating parts of dental treatment is dealing with lab-created restorations. Impressions are taken and sent out to the lab, and patients must deal with temporary fixes while they wait for the final restoration to come back. Fortunately, CAD/CAM design and 3-D printing are rapidly changing this process. Dentists who embrace this technology can create many common restorations, such as onlays and crowns, right in the office, and place the final restoration in a single visit.
Digital Impressions, X-Rays, and Photos
Traditional dental impressions were not much fun for either the dentist or the patient. You probably remember biting into a tray of goop, trying not to gag, and then waiting impatiently as your dentist rocked the hardened material back and forth to get it out of your mouth. Digital impressions are clean, comfortable, and fast.
Digital x-rays use less radiation than traditional films. They also require less storage space, and they can easily be magnified and manipulated to zero in on problematic areas of the mouth. Intra-oral cameras take digital photos that can be used in tandem with digital x-rays for better diagnostics.
Optical and CT Scanning
If your dentist needs to take a closer look at your mouth, there are now numerous painless digital scanning options. Optical scanners and digital color maps are used to improve the esthetics of dental restorations by more precisely matching them to your existing teeth. Electronic sensors evaluate the way your teeth come together. Cone beam CT scanning creates a highly detailed 3-D map of your unique oral anatomy, vastly improving the precision with which dental implants are placed.
Guided Implant Placement
Believe it or not, many implant dentists place dental implants into their patients’ jaws by simply “eyeballing it”. More technologically advanced dental offices place dental implants using surgical guides. With this technique, specialized software is used to create custom surgical guides. These guides direct the exact location, angle, and depth of each implant placement. The use of the guide increases the accuracy, efficiency, safety, and predictability of the procedure.
Digital technology cannot and should not replace reasoned, evidence-based dentistry. However, when properly used, digital tools are truly creating better, safer, and less painful dental procedures.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
If your tooth is badly damaged or decayed, you will likely need a dental crown. While traditional lab-created crowns can be a good option for some situations, more and more dentists and patients are choosing CEREC same-day crowns instead. CEREC means either Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, or CERamic REConstruction, depending on who you ask. Either way, CEREC is revolutionizing modern dentistry. Here are 3 reasons to choose a CEREC same-day crown.
Convenience
For many people, convenience is the number one reason to choose a CEREC same-day crown. A traditional crown requires two dentist visits. During the first appointment, your dentist will fix any existing problems with the tooth and prepare it for the crown. He or she will then take impressions and send them off to the lab, and fit you with a temporary crown to wear while you wait. Three weeks later, your new crown will be ready. You will then return to the office to have it placed.
With CEREC, we will repair and prepare your tooth like normal, and then take digital impressions. We feed those impressions into a specialized computer and use 3-D computer aided design (CAD) technology to create a model of your new crown. Finally, we will send the design to our in-office milling machine. The machine uses a block of color-matched ceramic to create your customized crown, which we will place in your mouth before you leave. There is no need for a second appointment.
Esthetics
While porcelain over metal crowns are reasonably natural in appearance, they are far from perfect. It is difficult to replicate the full appearance of natural dental enamel over a metal frame, and it is common for a thin band of exposed metal to show at the gum line.
CEREC same-day crowns are fabricated entirely from dental ceramic. This vastly improves the esthetics by more closely mimicking dental enamel. It also removes the risk of metal exposure at the gum line.
Strength and Durability
CEREC crowns use strong, durable, stain resistant dental ceramic. The CAD technology ensures a fit that is typically tighter and more precise than that of a lab-created crown. The ceramic is chemically bonded to the tooth, is fully biocompatible, and more closely resembles the natural composition of the tooth. This means that CEREC same-day crowns are an average of 18 percent stronger than traditional crowns. In addition, you will not need to deal with a loose, difficult to wear temporary crown while you wait for your final restoration.
Like anything else, CEREC same-day crowns are not right for everyone. In the majority of cases, though, a CEREC crown is an excellent way to improve both functionality and esthetics while reducing the time you spend sitting in the dentist’s chair.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
Invisalign is sometimes known as “the clear alternative to braces.” Straight teeth are not only beautiful, but they make chewing easier, they reduce the chances of developing problems in the jaw joints, and they are easier to clean. For more than a century, metal braces were the standard solution for straightening teeth, and they remain popular today. However, more and more people are now turning to Invisalign, as it offers some significant advantages. Here are just 5 benefits of Invisalign.
1. Computer Imaging
The first step is to develop a 3D digital model of your teeth. We will morph it to show you what to expect from each stage of treatment, including the results, and then use that model to create a series of customized aligners that will gently shift your teeth.
2. Comfort and Esthetics
Invisalign’s smooth, comfortable, medical grade aligners have no sharp edges. Unlike metal braces, there is nothing to poke and scrape your mouth and tongue. In addition, Invisalign’s clear aligners are nearly invisible. No more flashing a mouthful of metal to your boss or your date.
3. Lifestyle Considerations
Braces mean extensively changing your lifestyle. You must learn how to clean around them, and you will be unable to eat a long list of foods, from popcorn to whole apples. Invisalign is removable and only needs to be worn approximately 22 hours per day. That means you can simply pop out the aligners to eat your favorite foods or to perform oral hygiene. If you play contact sports, we will advise you on whether to remove your aligners during play.
4. Reduced Risk for Oral Damage
Braces put a great deal of force on the teeth. Scraping and demineralization are relatively common, putting your teeth at greater risk for future damage ranging from cavities to cracking. Invisalign is smooth and gentle, so it is far less likely to cause damage.
5. Treatment Protocols
If you have a busy life, you will likely appreciate the simplicity of Invisalign. We will place attachments on your teeth and show you how to insert and remove the aligners. Then you will change aligners at home every two weeks or as directed, and you will see us for monitoring just once every four to six weeks.
With braces, you will need regular appointments for adjustments. You must also make an emergency visit if anything goes wrong, such as a popped wire or loose bracket. In addition, Invisalign treatment is typically shorter in duration than braces treatment.
Invisalign used to cost more than braces, but this is no longer always the case. With braces, you must factor in the price of adjustments and emergency appointments, as well as any desired enhancements such as colored metal. Invisalign’s transparent pricing model includes all visits, so you will know up front exactly how much you will pay.
More and more dental insurance companies are now seeing the value of Invisalign as well, and many are willing to cover a portion of the costs. We will help you determine your exact out of pocket costs before we begin.
Ready to Get Started?
If you are ready to start your journey to better oral health with a Cupertino dentist you can trust, contact Ryan Senft, DDS today at 408-996-8595 to schedule your first appointment.
