DIGITAL DENTISTRY

2017, Smiley Dental Group committed to going digital. We continually invest in our practice and your care. Going digital also allows us to invest in our environment.

Smiley Dental Group constantly searches for ways to be the leader in patient care, dental technology, and environmental sustainability. We are confident our Dublin, Ohio practice represents the pinnacle of dental advancements. Take a look at some of our newest, advanced dental technologies.

Digital X-rays – can they make scans more reliable?

Yes! The image quality created using digital X-rays far surpasses that of traditional film. The clearer picture allows for better patient education and diagnostic abilities. Along with allowing for a more precise prognosis, digital X-rays reduce radiation risks by about 90%. We rely on several intraoral x-ray types to gain a clearer understanding of our patient’s oral health. These include:

Occlusal views: these x-rays allow us to study the bone structure of the upper and lower jaws. With these, we can check for bone loss, tumors, or blockage of the salivary glands.

Bitewing views: these X-rays capture the back halves of the upper and lower jaws. These allow us to identify bone loss or cavities in the crown and subgum portion of teeth.

Periapical views: these X-rays help us examine the root structure of the teeth to identify sources of root pain. Root canals and other periodontal work may result from our findings.

Among these three digital X-ray types, we get a full view of your oral health that would otherwise be unobserved when using traditional examinations. It’s rare all three are used on a patient, as one type of X-ray typically helps us discover the root problem of a patient’s specific issue.

Dental Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) – what exactly are they?

We use this special X-ray machine when traditional X-rays do not detect various oral health problems. Non-invasive, painless, and accurate, CBCT creates a 3D image of the teeth, bone, and soft tissues. Cone beam CT provides detailed scans to uncover issues that may occur in your mouth, jaw, neck, ears, throat, and teeth. The device’s rotating arm revolves around the patient’s head a full 360°, providing images that are digitally reconstructed to produce a full 3D image, and thus, a complete image of your orthodontic health.

Digital impressions – how can this dental technology help me?

Many remember the immense discomfort caused by traditional impressions. Those with a strong gag reflex need not worry any longer. With digital impressions, we can create a 3D intraoral scan through the use of a simple wand device and laser dentistry. The wand is attached to a computer with a monitor. We observe the scanning process live to ensure it is accurate, and it immediately produces an image of your digital impressions. We use these scans to create dentures, retainers, crowns, and bridges in our on-site laboratory. The accuracy and simplicity of digital impressions far surpass their messy and uncomfortable predecessors, the dreaded impression molds.

Have questions about our new dental technology services? Call us at 614-654-4822 to learn more.