Air Abrasion
Air abrasion is a great alternative to the old-fashioned dental drill. Air abrasion is best used on patients who want to remove staining and discoloration, as well as those who have small cavities.
The air abrasion device discharges a stream of air and aluminum oxide particles. The targeted stream is aimed at the part of the tooth where there is stain or dental decay. Think of it as a mini-sandblaster. The device gently blasts away the stain and/or decay. We use a rubber dam and high-speed suction device to keep your mouth free of debris during the process.
An air abrasion procedure is gentle enough that most people don’t need anesthesia, which can significantly reduce the amount of time you spend in the dental chair. Unfortunately, this technology is not ideal for patients with larger cavities.
Intraoral Photos
An intraoral (or inside the mouth) camera is the size of a pen. We place it in your mouth to get a better view of your teeth and soft tissues. Then, an image is captured, and we can print it out or look at it on a monitor.
The intraoral camera allows us to get an up-close view of the structures of your mouth, which helps us to diagnose conditions more accurately (like a cracked tooth or oral cancer).
CAD/CAM Technology
In the past, whenever you needed a dental crown, we would have to take impressions and wait for a lab technician to fabricate the crown. The process took weeks – sometimes up to four to six weeks.
Now, utilizing CAD/CAM technology, we can fabricate a crown while you are still in the chair, and we will try it in and cement it right then, instead of having you come back for multiple appointments.
The process utilizes intraoral cameras and a computer program. The program creates the design, then sends the design to a manufacturing machine that fabricates the crown.