Most people are always looking for the latest technology, right? The newest smartphone, the fastest computer, the clearest resolution TV. But what about your dental treatments?
High-tech dental treatments provide a wealth of benefits, including:
- Minimally invasive procedures without the need for stitches, sutures, or injections
- X-rays that use less radiation
- Faster treatments that require little recovery time
- Increased precision and better results
Here at Sedation Dentistry of Sunny Isles, we want to provide the most educated, comfortable care possible to our patients. That’s why we are so dedicated to providing them with high-tech dental treatments.
We’ll take a look at 5 amazing high tech dental treatments and how we use them here at our Sunny Isles office.
PerioLase
Almost half of U.S. adults over the age of 30 have gum disease. Gum disease is largely preventable and can be reversible in its early stages with brushing and flossing. But in more advanced cases, it requires advanced treatments, like PerioLase.
PerioLase is an FDA-approved laser treatment created to help patients treat their infected gums without the fear of pain and recovery from surgery. It is a non-invasive treatment that uses pulses of wavelengths to target and essentially zap bacteria away.
This kind of treatment causes less pain, swelling, bleeding, and sensitivity than traditional gum disease solutions, with much faster recovery time.
LightWalker Laser
Treating gum disease used to be a long, often painful process that required surgery and actually ended up damaging healthy gum tissue while it was treating the problem. High-tech laser dentistry like the LightWalker Laser requires none of this. It is a non-invasive treatment that promotes rapid healing in the mouth and gums.
The LightWalker Laser uses concentrated light waves to target decayed and damaged tissue around the teeth and gums. This makes it ideal not only for gum disease treatments but for a variety of different restorative and cosmetic procedures:
- Scaling and root planing
- Removing decay before a restorative procedure
- Removal of existing porcelain crowns without damaging tooth structure
- Removing orthodontic braces and cement
Cone beam CT scans
You’ve probably had dental x-rays taken before. Cone beam scans are a lot like x-rays, but instead of creating a 2-D image of your mouth and teeth, it creates a 3-D image. The cone beam scanner rotates around your head, projecting a cone-shaped x-ray beam.
A lot of the time, the clear imagery of the cone beam scans help a dentist plan a very precise dental implant procedure. It also helps to diagnose dental cavities or root canals, and evaluate jaw and face if there has been trauma.
Dental implants
Missing teeth are surprisingly common. And while dentures are what likely comes to mind when you think of replacing missing teeth, there’s an even better solution: dental implants. Dentures can slip out of place and often require messy adhesives.
Dental implants are a permanent and natural-looking treatment for a missing tooth or teeth. Here’s how they work:
- Your dentist will place the dental implant into your bone. The implant itself looks kind of like a screw and is usually made of titanium. It acts as the root, anchoring the restoration into the jawbone.
- An abutment is placed on top of the implant. You can think of an abutment as a small connecting piece between the implant and the crown. It helps stabilize the crown.
- Finally, your dentist will top the abutment with a crown custom made for you. The crown will look and feel just like a normal tooth!
Not only are implants permanent, but you also care for them just like you would your natural teeth. Benefits they provide include:
- Strengthening the jawbone
- Aligning neighboring teeth
- Restoring the ability to eat and speak naturally
- Decreasing TMJ pain and headaches
- Promoting healthy gums and teeth
Dr. Diane and Dr. Frank are both All-On-4 implant certified, meaning they can replace all of your teeth in your upper or lower arch with as few as four implants.
Sedation dentistry
If you feel anxious about coming into the dentist, you are not alone. Reasons for dental anxiety vary but usually are associated with fear of pain, fear of injections, or feeling a loss of control or embarrassment over the state of your mouth.
We never want fear of the dentist to keep you from getting the care you need. Thankfully, sedation dentistry can be a great solution for those with dental anxiety. Here are some of the latest high-tech treatments:
- Nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is administered through an over-the-nose mask and leaves you feeling relaxed. It wears off very quickly, allowing you to return to your regular routine within minutes.
- Conscious IV sedation – administered through an IV, this form of sedation puts you into a dreamlike state, where you can still follow your dentist’s instructions. Most people don’t remember their treatment following this type of sedation.
- General anesthesia – this treatment allows you to “sleep” through your entire treatment, while you are supervised by an anesthesiologist. General anesthesia is considered the deepest form of sedation dentistry.
- Oral sedation – if you know you’ll experience a lot of anxiety before the appointment, your dentist can prescribe an oral sedative to take shortly before your appointment. This will relax you before coming in.
Looking to the future
Dr. Diane and Dr. Frank are constantly on the lookout for the latest advancements in dental technology, to provide the best and most comfortable treatment possible to their patients. You can expect to see it here in our Sunny Isles office when it’s available.
Schedule your high-tech treatment with us today
Our dentists take a very compassionate and caring approach to all treatments and want to help you achieve the healthy smile of your dreams. Contact us at (786) 629-1503 or schedule an appointment.