Children and adults have been looking forward to it all year. Many people will be dressed up to celebrate, and they will be overjoyed when it’s finally here.
Yes, the new Star Wars movie has fans excited to see an adventure story, and one of the biggest thrills are the special effects used to show fictional technology like light sabers and blasters.
Back in the real world, Really Smile has some exciting technology as well — including lasers and digital dental scanners.
Our technology isn’t for show, however. It’s to help all the patients receive the best possible care when they visit our dentist office in Carmel.
Digital imaging
Digital imaging is another thing that Hollywood and dentistry have in common.
Hollywood uses computers to create entire scenes, even entire worlds with nothing but a computer. In our office, we used dental scanners to create images of your teeth as they are … and as they could be.
One example of this technology is our dental cone beam scanner. In our practice, we use cone beam imaging to create a three-dimensional digital model of your mouth.
Cone beam imaging is based on the same technology that was first used in CT scanners.
If you have ever had a CT scan, then you know that you had to lie down inside the machine. When you did that, the scanner moves around you, making several images that can be reassembled to give doctors a detailed look at what you look like on the inside.
With a cone beam dental scanner, our focus is on your teeth and the bones that support it. The cone beam scanner moves around your head making digital slices of your teeth and jaw. These slices are assembled with computer software to create a three-dimensional model of your teeth and jaw.
This is an invaluable tool for our dental team. This allows us to more easily identify structural problems in your mouth. That helps us when placing dental implants for our patients with missing teeth.
We also use digital imaging for patients who are considering Invisalign. After scanning your teeth, we can feed that information into the Invisalign Outcome Simulator.
A computer program will show you see exactly how Invisalign will straighten your teeth by the end of your treatment. This can serve as a good reminder of what you are working toward each time you replace one of your Invisalign aligners.
Lasers, too
If you thought lasers were just for fancy fictional weapons, then you should see what we can do with them.
At Really Smile dentist office, we use soft tissue lasers and DiagnoDent to help our patients.
Soft tissue lasers can be used to treat gum disease. According to the American Dental Hygienists Association, 80 percent of Americans will have some form of gum disease in their lifetimes.
In most cases, this is gingivitis (the milder form of gum disease), which can be treated with daily brushing and flossing and routine preventive care.
If left untreated, this can become periodontitis (a more advanced form of gum disease). Depending on the severity, we may need to use our dental laser in our treatment.
The dental laser helps in two ways. First, we can use the laser to remove the diseased gum tissue without surgery. Second, the laser seals the healthy tissue. This means you can be treated without getting cut. That speeds up your recovering after your gum disease treatment.
DiagnoDent is a state-of-the-art technique for find cavities earlier than ever before.
We will still perform a visual examination of your teeth when you come for your regular cleanings. Your hygienist will use an explorer (a tool with a small hook on the end) to check for cavities, too.
These methods are useful, but they cannot identify cavities that are forming inside your tooth. The DiagnoDent sends laser pulses into your teeth. These pulses help us “see” cavities that exist below the surface of your teeth.
The sooner we find evidence of decay, the earlier we can treat it. This can save you the trouble and the pain of a toothache down the road.
Getting Technical
When you go to the movies, you expect to be entertained. Today’s special effects make fantasy worlds come alive and look more realistic than ever.
At Really Smile, technology is serving an even better purpose, keeping your mouth healthy and your smile intact.
If you live in our near Carmel, IN, make an appointment at our dentist office to see how digital imaging and dental lasers can help you. Call 317-597-8748 or fill out our online form to schedule your visit.
If you are new to the area or just looking for a new dentist, we would love to meet you. Just print out one of our new patient forms to bring to your first appointment.
