The other day I was having casual conversation with one of our clients. Somehow, we got on the topic of how dentistry used to be before the invention of various techniques which we all take for granted today. I started thinking about it on my way home and came up with 5 advancements in dentistry that I cannot imagine working without. Here they are:
#5 Professional in-office Teeth Whitening is a cosmetic procedure performed most commonly in our office. Kaboom whitening is a non-invasive procedure, it only involves one hour-long appointment, and the results are instantaneous. With Kaboom! whitening patients can achieve results of up to 12 shades lighter. Clients have the option to either watch Netflix or listen to their favorite Pandora station during the whitening procedure.
#4 Digital Dental X-rays can reduce the radiation exposure to patients by up to 75% over traditional x-rays films. Digital x-rays are remarkably more diagnostic, they can be magnified on the computer screen to reveal greater details. They’re also a great teaching tool as both the dentist and patient can discuss what’s seen on the x-rays.
#3 Dental Vibe, a pain-free injection system. Studies reveal that what patients fear the most about their dental visits is the “needle.” The Dental Vibe is a remarkable instrument that distracts the brain with pulsating vibrations. As the patient receives the numbing injection they mostly feel the vibrations and not the needle.
#2 Metal Free Dental Crowns. The latest generation of crowns such as Cerec, Procera, and BruxZir are metal free. They’re just as strong and look more esthetic than the traditional porcelain fused to metal crowns. We’ve all seen people who have a dark blue hue around the gums, which is caused by the metal showing through the gums. The metal free crowns are also hypoallergenic. A certain population of patients is allergic to the metals found in crowns.
#1 Dental Implants. Before dental implants patients had only two options to replace a missing tooth. They’d either have to wear a removable denture or we’d need to shave down the adjacent teeth on either side to fit a bridge. With the innovation of implants we can replace a missing tooth without cutting the adjacent teeth. Often times the dental implant feels and looks like a natural tooth. The procedure is pain free, patients usually report a bit of soreness after the anesthesia wears off.
