Air abrasion is a drill-less technique that involves an instrument used to blast away small areas of early onset tooth decay, as well as help dentists perform other dental procedures. It is recommended for children or other patients who are fearful of traditional drilling. Air abrasion can only be used if you have minimal decay.

How Air Abrasion Works

A fine stream of particles, such as silica, aluminum oxide, or baking soda, is directed at the stained or decayed portion of the tooth. The particles are propelled by compressed air or gas that runs through the air abrasion instrument. As this steady and powerful stream is directed at the tooth, particles of decay on its surface are blasted away. As the particles detach from the tooth, they are quickly suctioned through a tube.

Air Abrasion Advantages

There are a few advantages to using air abrasion over the traditional drilling method, such as:

• No heat, pressure, or vibration is generated to cause discomfort
• Reduces the need for anesthesia, especially if a cavity is very shallow
• More healthy tissue is saved with this process
• Reduces the risk of fracturing or chipping a tooth

Air abrasion can also assist your dentist with other procedures, including:

• Removing old composite restorations
• Preparing a tooth’s surface for bonding or sealants
• Removing surface stains and tooth discoloration

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The single-tooth anesthesia wand provides increased comfort and decreased anxiety when it comes to dental procedures requiring anesthetization. The wand looks like a small pen with an extremely small needle at the tip. The anesthesia wand works by numbing the individual tooth your dentist needs to work on. The device is unique in the way that it delivers a flow of anesthesia all controlled by a computer.

Because of the wand’s less intimidating appearance, it is a great option if you are nervous around shots and needles or if you experience extreme dental phobia or anxiety. It is especially useful for children who aren’t yet accustomed to injections.

Anesthesia Wand Benefits

There are many benefits that come with using the anesthesia wand, including:

• Single-tooth numbness: Since the wand only anesthetizes one tooth, you won’t leave your dentist’s office with a completely numb mouth.
• Complete computer control: The device automatically controls and regulates the flow rates and pressure during injection, which maximizes injection predictability and precision.
• Dynamic pressure-sensing technology: The technology monitors the exit pressure of the anesthetic for precise needle position during the administration process. Your dentist also receives visual and audio feedback from the unit, aiding in the correct placement for the injection.

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A tooth that has been structurally damaged by decay or trauma sometimes needs to be crowned or “capped” so that it can look good and function properly again. A crown is a durable covering that is custom-made to fit over the entire tooth from the gum line up.

Getting a crown used to mean multiple office visits and weeks of waiting time, but now there is a much more convenient option—same-day crowns. Same-day crowns and other tooth restorations can be made in the dentist’s office and often in minutes using technology known as Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM).

Benefits of Same-Day Crowns

• Saves you time and money

Traditional crowns require you to get temporary crowns while you wait for the permanent crown to be made. Same-day crowns eliminate the expense of the temporary crown, and the expense of the multiple appointments that traditional crowns require.

• Restores function to your mouth and teeth immediately

With temporary crowns, you have to be careful how you eat so that the temporary crown doesn’t fall out. With same-day crowns, you will have full functioning of your teeth again.

Same-Day Crown Process

• Your dentist will remove any decay or debris from the affected area, and then shape the tooth or teeth so it will fit with the crown.
• With the help of a small scanning wand, your dentist will take digital pictures of your mouth that will assist in generating a 3D model of your teeth.
• The CAD/CAM software uses this 3D model to create your crown. It can even use a mirror-image twin of the other side of your mouth to create the most natural-looking crown possible.
• A block of ceramic material is chosen to match the color of your teeth, and the computer’s digital design is transmitted to a milling machine that carves the crown from the ceramic block in about five minutes.
• The crown is then bonded to your tooth.

Caring for your crown is very similar to caring for your natural teeth. As always, you need to regularly brush and floss. With crowns, it’s even more important to maintain a regular schedule of professional cleanings at the dental office. If you have a grinding habit, talk to your dentist about a mouthguard to protect your teeth and crowns.

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Lasers direct a controlled force of energy that can remove or alter bone and tissue. By applying varying wavelengths of energy, dental lasers are used to detect and treat a myriad of oral health issues, including detecting oral cancer and treating small cavities.

There are two different types of dental lasers: hard tissue lasers and soft tissue lasers.

With unparalleled precision, hard tissue lasers emit a wavelength that can cut through bone, or more specifically, the calcium phosphate that make up our bones and teeth. The hard tissue laser eliminates the need for a dental drill, which is often associated with uncomfortable noise and vibrations.

Hard tissue lasers are typically used for:

• Removing decay to a tooth for a filling
• Detecting cavities under the gum line
• Treating tooth sensitivity

Soft tissue lasers emit a wavelength that is easily absorbed by water and hemoglobin, a molecule found in the blood. Soft tissue lasers cut through soft tissue and seal exposed blood vessels at the same time, which is why laser treatments often have little bleeding and heal quickly.

Soft tissue lasers are typically used for:

• Reshaping gums to lengthen crowns, or for cosmetic purposes, like treating a “gummy” smile
• Making changes to soft tissue, like treating limited tongue movement or removing soft tissue that causes sleep apnea
• Detecting abnormal tissue, like oral cancers
• Treating infection in the root canal or gums

Lasers sterilize what they touch and seal any blood vessels they cut, which means dental lasers:

• Reduce the need for sutures
• Reduce the need for anesthesia
• Reduce risk of infection
• Reduce healing time significantly
• Reduce blood loss during treatments

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Using lasers, dentists can detect tooth decay that is not yet visible and would otherwise be undiagnosed using traditional methods.

Laser cavity detection is based on the fact that healthy tooth structure reflects light, or “fluoresces,” differently than does decayed tooth structure. Teeth with decay will display a higher level of fluorescence, and the higher the fluorescence, the more advanced the tooth decay. Laser decay technology also puts out an audio signal when it finds areas of decay.

Prior to using a laser scanner, dentists depended upon X-rays and using fine picks to identify cavities. Not only is this process uncomfortable, it’s also harder to diagnose decay in areas with limited visibility, like underneath the gum line. Laser technology provides about a 90% accuracy rate for identifying suspicious areas and cavities.

If tooth decay is caught early enough, you might not even need a filling at all, meaning laser technology not only improves early cavity detection, but reduces the size and number of fillings you might need over time. This means that you will be better able to preserve your natural teeth and avoid the need for expensive dental treatments.

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Slightly bigger than a pen, an intraoral camera is an innovative tool that can take up-close pictures of teeth, gums, and other hard-to-reach places in the mouth. Intraoral cameras can help dentists detect dental issues like tooth decay, periodontal disease, and oral cancers.

Benefits of using an intraoral camera:

• Oral health status

You and your dentist will be able to see with precision where you might need to brush or floss more, or how your current oral healthcare routine is working.

• Oral health tracking

You will be able to see the difference before and after a treatment, and the progress of a treatment over time.

• Diagnostic assistance

The intraoral camera can magnify images of your teeth and gums, which helps dental health professionals diagnose gum disease and cavities, and if caught early enough, help prevent them.

• More photos, more coverage

These photos can provide proof insurance companies need to give coverage.

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X-rays are one of the most important parts of a dental exam, and can help medical professionals detect problems long before they are visible to the naked eye, including early tooth decay, gum disease, abscesses, and abnormal growths.

Benefits of Digital X-rays

• Easy to obtain

Digital X-rays are obtained by putting a small electronic sensor in the mouth, and captured images can be pulled up instantly on a computer screen.

• No waiting time

Unlike traditional X-rays that require an intermediary chemical process, your dentist can abstain and evaluate your X-rays almost instantly.

• Images are clearer

Digital X-ray images are clearer than traditional X-rays and your healthcare provider can zoom in and out, making it easier for them to detect potential problems.

• Easy to share and store

Digital X-rays can be easily emailed to different specialists if needed, and can easily be stored on your computer.

• They are safer

Compared to traditional X-rays, digital X-rays reduce your exposure to radiation by up to 90%. Even though risk is reduced, there is still a slight risk that radiation from X-rays will cause cellular changes that may lead to future disease. Their benefits outweigh their risk, which is why they are so commonly used. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about your safety, or why an X-ray is recommended for you.

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Dental impressions are bad enough to make anyone avoid the dentist. If you’ve ever needed a crown, bridge, or retainer, then you’ve experienced the discomfort that comes while waiting for the gooey, putty-like material (alginate) to set for a dental impression. Thankfully, there are new ways to obtain dental impressions using digital scans of your mouth.

Digital impressions create accurate virtual representations of your teeth and bite by taking a series of digital photographs. The resulting virtual model of your mouth allows your dentist or dental specialist to determine the best plan of care for you.

Getting digital impressions is not invasive and takes little time. First, the teeth are dusted with titanium dioxide powder. Then, an intraoral wand scans the teeth and mouth. If you are getting restorations, the scans will be sent to the lab where the bridge, veneer, crown, or oral appliance will be made.

Digital impressions mean:

• Comfort – No more gag-inducing goop to achieve dental impressions.
• Efficiency – Your teeth can be immediately assessed to see if they are ready for treatment, and because digital scans don’t need time to set like traditional impressions, you won’t need to spend as much time at the office.
• Quality – Because digital impressions can give a more detailed representation of your mouth, your new crown, bridge, or veneer will be better suited for your mouth.

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Losing teeth can cause discomfort and difficulty eating and speaking, but it also can negatively affect our jawbone.

Bone needs stimulation to maintain its form and density. When you lose teeth, your jawbone loses the stimulation it needs to stay strong and keep its form and begins to deteriorate.

Consequences of bone loss in the jaw include:

• A 25% decrease in jawbone width, in just the first year of tooth loss
• Change to face structure and aesthetics
• Increased change of bone fracture in face and jaw
• Movement of other teeth, creating bite misalignment
• Possible TMJ pain from change in bite

Tooth Replacement Options

• Dental implant

A dental implant is the most recommended tooth-replacement treatment because it restores the look, feel, and function of a real tooth, and because the implant fuses directly into the jawbone, it prevents bone loss. It also has over a 95% success rate—the highest of any tooth-replacement option.

Dental implants require a minor surgical procedure with local anesthesia. The implant is placed directly into the jawbone and capped with a lifelike dental crown, to give you the feel and function of your natural teeth.

• Partial or full dentures

Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Partial dentures are used when only some teeth are missing, and put pressure on existing teeth and bones. This pressure can accelerate the bone loss process, and loosen any existing teeth.

• Bridgework

Bridgework refers to the use of a false tooth to create a bridge between two healthy teeth. Bridgework relies on support from two adjacent, possibly healthy, teeth that must be filed down and capped, making them vulnerable to decay and root canal problems.

While they can restore the look of a real tooth, they do not address bone issues that occur after the loss of a tooth.

Both dentures and bridgework are less expensive than implants in the short-term, but don’t prevent bone loss and may need to be replaced themselves, making implants the best investment for long-term health, function, and aesthetics.

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Cone beam CT imaging provides dentists with a three-dimensional view of mouth, jaw, teeth, and nasal cavity. These images contain invaluable clinical information and help reduce the need for invasive procedures, shorten treatment time, and make treatment plans more effective and efficient.

With 3D scans, dentists and dental specialists can now evaluate:

• Soft tissue size and location

This is especially important in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea, where soft tissue might be blocking the airways during sleep. These images will also show tumors and irregular growths, and can help your dentist plan for oral surgery.

• Location of teeth, including impacted teeth or teeth that haven’t grown in yet

Knowing the exact location and size of your teeth helps in planning treatment for braces or impacted teeth.

• Location, size and density of jaw bone

Knowing the location, size, density of your bones will help determine the best plan of action to take if you need an implant or jaw surgery.

When you get a cone beam CT scan, an imaging device rotates around your head. The scanner records between 150 and 600 different X-ray views in under a minute and sends the scans to a computer where a virtual, three-dimensional model is created from the images. The model can be rotated from side to side or up and down, magnified, or viewed from any angle needed. So not only can your dentist see your entire tooth’s anatomy, they can zoom in to see the condition of your root canal itself. This allows your dentist or dental specialist to prepare your procedure, or examine your health in great detail without you having to sit in an uncomfortable position, or without you even needing to be present.

Like X-rays, CT scans are associated with low amounts of radiation exposure, so it’s important to consider the risk before getting a scan. Most often, the benefits of getting a CT scan outweigh the risks, but it’s particularly important to be cautious for those with preexisting health conditions.

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