Dr. Lawrence Wang runs Madison Square Dentistry in Manhattan, which specializes in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. He opened his practice in January 2009 and strives for a supremely comfortable patient experience and uses the most up-to-date 21st-century equipment.
Dentists use a range of tools and machinery to complete the same processes. How up-to-date a dentist’s equipment is generally depends on his or her generation and/or open-mindedness. There are dentists who are still using the same equipment they used in the 1980s. It works, but it just may be less quick or comfortable.
In my office, I strive to use the most advanced 21st-century equipment. This includes:
1. The Intraoral Camera. This technology came out about five years ago. It is a camera the size of a really large pen that gives you a “tour” of your mouth, live on the treatment-room TV screen. This technology allows us to guide you through your diagnosis and treatment options, and lets you see exactly what the dentist sees in your mouth, so you can feel informed at every step of the way. Sometimes a patient may have a cavity that doesn’t hurt, but when I show it to them on the screen, it is unmistakeably a black hole in the tooth. This way, they can take ownership of what is going on in their mouth.
2. Digital X-rays. Digital X-rays are faster than conventional X-rays, and they are more comfortable for the patient. They also aid us in accurately diagnosing the patient’s oral health needs, and they expose you to up to 90% less radiation. When you take a regular X-ray, you have to go to a darkroom and develop it, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes. A digital X-ray image appears instantaneously on the treatment room TV screen. We also use digital imaging, which lets a patient see his new and improved smile before treatment even begins. Digital technology also requires no chemical processing, so it’s easier on the environment.
3. Computer-stored X-rays and patient records. As part of an environmentally friendly, paperless office, patients’ X-rays are stored digitally in the office computer system, just like all their records. I can send X-rays via email, and print them at a patient’s request. Patients also fill out all of their forms online and submit them electronically.
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.
