What Is New at the Dentist?

When you go to the dentist, you might have seen new equipment that you haven’t seen before this. You will notice that they are updating equipment dentists use on a regular basis. This updating is occurring to help both dentists and patients have a better experience. Long gone are the old days of dental industry. Here are some new equipment for you to embrace.

High Technology in X-rays -- In many dental offices, digitized X-rays are being used instead of traditional radiographs. Although digital X-rays have been available, dentists are using them more and more today. Digital X-rays are faster and more efficient than traditional radiographs. First, an electronic sensor or phosphor plate is placed in the patient’s mouth to capture the image, which is put into a computer. Immediately, dentists can see the patient’s mouth. The procedure is much faster than processing conventional film and less complicated. Dentists can store digital images on the computer and compare them to new picture to see how the dental health of the patient is going. And because the sensor and phosphor plates are more sensitive to X-rays than film is, the radiation dose is cut dramatically. Digital X-rays are used to find cavities, check placement of an implant, look at bone structure, and check on crowns or root canals.

Lasers -- Traditionally, dentists use a tool called an "explorer" to find cavities.This is the instrument dentists use for poking and counting your teeth during a checkup. When it catches in a tooth, they look closer to see if they find decay. Many dentists have begun to use a diode laser, which is a higher-tech option for detecting and removing cavities. The laser can see if there is decay in a tooth. The dentist can decide to monitor the tooth, comparing the levels at the next visit or advise that the cavity be removed and the tooth filled. When healthy teeth are exposed to the wavelength of the diode laser, they stay the same color, meaning the reading on the digital display is low. But decayed teeth will glow according to the amount of decay. You will see high numbers in the display as a result. However, one flaw is that the laser doesn’t always work when a patient already has fillings. The laser can show early signs of cavities in the other teeth. Note also that the diode laser does not replace X-rays but complements them. It can find decay in grooves on the chewing surface while X-rays can locate decay between and inside teeth.

Computer Assisted Design and Computer-Assisted Manufacture -- These programs are used to create crowns and bridges. When dentists use these machines, they ensure patients don’t have to keep coming back to the dentists. Therefore, the dentists who use them save patient’s time and money. When a patient needs a crown, a dentist used to have to make a mold of the tooth and fashion a temporary crown. The mold would be sent to the dental laboratory for the permanent crown. But, with CAD/CAM technology, the dentist prepares the tooth for the crown and a picture is taken with a computer. The image is sent to a machine that makes the crown in the office. These are used in dental implants and cosmetic procedures too.