When we see our patients, we want to offer care with precision and accuracy, and ensure our patients enjoy a positive and comfortable treatment experience. To make this possible, we employ the latest advances in dental technology, starting with your initial exam. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about our use of advanced technology to offer an optimal treatment experience.
Digital Imaging Systems
When we need to take x-rays, we opt for a digital alternative to the traditional imaging system. With digital x-rays, we use 90% less radiation and the images are available instantly on our chairside monitors, no need to wait for them to develop in harsh chemicals. These high-resolution images provide a diagnosis with better precision, and enable us to plan complex oral surgeries.
While digital x-rays allow us to see the roots and the interior of our oral structures, we can employ intraoral cameras to examine the surfaces of the teeth and gums. With a tiny camera at the end of a thin wand, we can comfortably and effectively gather images of the interior of your mouth from multiple angles, so we can diagnose issues like oral cancer, cavities, gum disease, and more.
Finally, we may also plan treatments like tooth extraction and dental implant placement with our cone-beam computed tomography, or CBCT, which enables us to create highly detailed 3D images of your teeth and oral structures, so we can provide a diagnosis and plan treatment with precision and accuracy. The low radiation levels also mean these images are gathered safely!
Laser Dentistry
Our team can also employ advanced dental lasers to address soft tissue concerns. For example, we can help tackle advanced gum disease by removing diseased tissues, making the disease manageable with a preventive approach moving forward. Our team can also conduct cosmetic gum contouring to reshape the gum line and remove excess tissues, improving the overall beauty of your smile. Lasers make treatment possible in only one visit, often with little to no anesthesia necessary. We can target the areas with precision and the lack of scalpels and sutures means the treated areas heal quickly, with most people returning to their normal routines in as little as 24 to 48 hours. You also have a much lower risk of bleeding, infection, and swelling too.
Same-Day Restorations
With the chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramics (CEREC), our team can create and place cosmetic dental restorations in only one visit. No need for two to three visits or a temporary. Instead, in one visit we prep the tooth, take detailed images and impressions, and upload the information into an onsite milling machine, which crafts the completed restoration from lifelike ceramic. We then attach the completed crown in the same sitting! We can also create custom porcelain veneers to address cosmetic concerns, and bridges to address minor tooth loss.
Dental Sedation
Our team wants your treatment to be a comfortable experience, which is why we offer sedation to help even anxious patients enter a deep state of calm and relaxation. We will recommend an option based on factors like medications, medical history, anxiety levels, age, and weight. The most mild and common form is nitrous oxide, which is administered through a mask over the nose. You inhale the gas and enter a deep state of calm, with little memory of the procedure. The effects can be adjusted during treatment and wear off once the procedure ends, so you can return to work or school, and even drive yourself home! This option is safe for kids and adults alike.
Sleep Apnea Appliances
Sleep apnea means that your REM sleep is interrupted multiple times a night as soft tissues block airflow and you stop breathing, only for the brain to wake you to reuse breathing. While you may not remember this happening, it leaves you exhausted and even strains your overall health! But our team can offer a treatment option that does not require a CPAP machine, and instead uses a custom and comfortable oral appliance. Using the Cirona 3D imaging system, we can capture detailed images of your smile and create a 3D model. We then use the images and impressions to design and custom-fit an oral appliance, which then fits like a mouthguard and is worn as you rest at night.
DO YOU NEED TREATMENT WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY?
If you want to start summer with a healthy and bright smile, or would like to learn more about our treatment options, call Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO, today at (816)942-7669.