In the last 10 years, dental technology has changed so fast that even dental professionals are surprised by many of the developments. Dr. Furuyama, owner of Waterside Dental, a dental practice in New York City, is amazed at how the changes in dentistry and orthodontics have made her life — and the lives of her patients — better.
Anesthesia
Dr. Furuyama explains how anesthesia has undergone dramatic changes over the decade. “Dentists are able to give anesthesia using a computer chip to regulate the flow of the anesthetic so that the shot is practically imperceptible and totally painless. This is slower than when it is done using the old-fashioned syringe technique and alleviates the sudden pressure against the gum tissue that used to make the old- fashioned shots so uncomfortable.”
Lasers are another area that has brought change to the dental field. Because lasers do not generate the amount of heat that a rotary instrument like a dental drill used to, a cavity can be cleaned faster and easier with the laser, usually without even needing anesthesia. This is great for both children and adults: Kids are not as afraid because there is no drill and adults are able to go back to work without a drooping mouth since there is no anesthesia. And, dentists are also able to get a lot more fillings done on one patient in one sitting.
Cad/Cam
Dr. Furuyama also cites Cad/Cam (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) dentistry as another wonderful high-tech innovation. He explains, “Cad/Cam enables a dentist to use a wand to scan the tooth preparation in the patient’s mouth and the image is captured into a computer. The dentist manipulates the image to design the restoration and then sends the information wirelessly to the milling machine. The computer directs the drills in the milling machine to cut away the outside of the porcelain blocks to create the restoration. The finished restoration is then bonded to the tooth, resulting in a tooth that is approximately 90% as strong as it was before it ever even had a cavity (vs. 50% stronger with a silver filling and 65% stronger with composite fillings).”
Cad/Cam decreases waiting time from a week or more for completed work to having the finished porcelain restoration completed before leaving the dentist. No lab work is required for the inlays or crown, so there is no time where a person’s tooth is partially protected. It also decreases temporary tooth sensitivity issues. And, the problem is fixed in one visit.
Cad/Cam dentistry is also being used more and more in implant dentistry. Implants — which look like titanium screws — are a way to replace lost teeth. Inside the implant is a smaller screw thread to which a post is screwed. This is helps hold onto the crown. That post is called an abutment, and when implant bridges are being constructed, the abutments all need to be parallel to one another in order to seat the bridge. It is often difficult to see this in the mouth because implants have no “give” to accommodate slight angular errors. The Cad/Cam abutments are all parallel and the bridges are more accurate. This means less time and energy is wasted having to seat the bridges. They fit perfectly thanks to the Cad/Cam technology.
Dr. Furuyama also feels Intraoral cameras have also made a big difference in the detection of cavities and in patient education. She explains, “Once patients understand what is going on inside their mouths, they want to get the cavities fixed before they start to feel pain. Again, it is much better to treat the cavities when they are small than after they start to hurt.”
Intraoral camera
The Intraoral camera is also good at detecting cracks in teeth. Cracks are sometimes difficult to find because they do not show up on x-rays, and they may be difficult to detect during a visual inspection, as well. With the Intraoral camera, the pictures taken in the mouth are enlarged 26 times, allowing the cracks to be seen easily. This enables the dentist to treat them before they grow deep enough to require tooth extraction. According to Dr. Furuyama, “Prevention is better than cure.”
Digital x-rays
Digital x-rays are another technical breakthrough resulting in more accurate measurements in endontics and implantology, as well as better cavity detection. More importantly, this type of x-ray decreases the amount of radiation patients get by up to 90%. Dr. Furuyama explains, “Incidentally, although a lot of dentists have one or two of the above technologies in their offices, Waterside Dental has all of them. Our motto is: Our dentistry is high tech but the care for our patients is warm and friendly.”
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
