New technology in dentistry now offer better solutions for traditional oral health problems than ever before. Dentistry is using technology to make the treatments comfortable, lasting, efficient and natural-looking for the patient. Patients and their dentists can benefit from newer techniques that are less invasive and more reliable than in the past. Procedures that might have taken numerous visits to the dentist or required multiple health care providers can often be undertaken in the comfort of one surgery by one qualified dentist.
There are many new advancements in dentistry that your dentist may choose to offer for increased comfort and improved oral health. These dental advances play an important role in the comfort of the patients and make the dental work more efficient. These include:
Computer Assisted Design is used in dentistry to design and make dental bridges, inlays/onlays, crowns and porcelain veneers. They are highly accurate and look and feel more like natural teeth.
Dental implants are most likely the leading dental technology advancement because of their fit and function as replacements of a tooth root. Technology enables the implants to integrate with the jaw bone and the procedure can be done in almost any adult who needs missing teeth replaced. The treatment time for this procedure has also been shortened as some patients can receive the crown that attaches to the implant immediately after tooth extraction.
Air abrasion is a great alternative to a traditional dental drill, an air-abrasion system is primarily used to treat small cavities, preserving healthy tooth structure without the use of a local anesthetic. Air-abrasion allows for the precise removal of decay through a blast of pellets consisting of air and aluminum oxide.
Composite resin materials are now used in some veneers and other restorations, to fill cavities and to bond onto or rebuild a tooth. Composite resins offer a tooth-like resolution and have grown in popularity over the years. They are continually being improved and refined to better replicate tooth colors, to be easier to apply and to hold their shape without slumping off the tooth.
Desensitizers can be used by your dentist or hygienist prior to dental treatment if you have sensitive teeth, so that you are comfortable throughout treatment. Desensitizers can be used alone or in conjunction with other pain and anxiety relief modalities such as a local anesthetic or sedation dentistry.
These days it is even easier to take control of your oral health via the internet and most dental appointments can be made through a practice website. Dentists can send dental technicians emails with your intra-oral photos in real time so that they can discuss your optins with you right there and then.
Other technological advances include the use of optical scanners which provide a digital map of the tooth and create a 3-D replica model of the dental structure. This helps in accurate colour analysis for cosmetic restorations made in a dental laboratory such as porcelain veneers, crowns and bridges for an even more realistic natural tooth appearance.
