Improvements are not all created equal. I love dentistry! One of the things I like best about the profession is that I will never grow bored. How could I, in a field that changes with the speed of light? Dental school was a starting ground of basic skills that gave me the ability to grasp this ever changing and exciting world I practice in.
I’m surrounded by micro-air-abrasion versus drills, at-home tray whitening techniques versus heat bleaching, x-rays versus digital images, intraoral cameras versus the naked eye, technology versus the pencil. Some are better improvements than others, but they all offer possibilities for the future.
Micro air-abrasion versus drills: micro air-abrasion is like a miniature sand blaster that allows us to remove decay and white fillings without generating heat or pain. Thus no anesthetic needed. It is ultra conservative, 400um versus the standard 1.5 mm preparation of the drill. Disadvantages: it leaves tiny sandy particles in your mouth that need to be washed away. The procedure can cause some minor cool sensitivity, if your teeth are unusually sensitive. The drill generates heat, necessitates anesthetic, but is fast after that.
At-home whitening versus speed whitening: 20 years ago we were bleaching teeth with a blue light and a heat activated chemical, most of you don’t remember this, as it never caught on well. The at-home techniques are innocuous with minimal transient sensitivity and very successful results. The old and new technique of using lights and “lasers” to bleach your teeth in the office can be uncomfortable, expensive and can leave the patient with moderate cold sensitivity.
X-rays versus digital imaging: If you have been exposed to the digital images at our office, it is hard not to be impressed. These images are quick, can be enlarged/enhanced and stored on a computer. They also decrease the amount of radiation you are exposed to by 70 percent. We no longer lose x-rays to your insurance company when we submit your insurance claims.
Intraoral cameras versus the naked eye: the ability to enlarge a tooth with a crack, failing filling, and decay 200 times has been the Lexus of the 21st century. You can now understand and see what I’ve been talking to you about in Greek and Latin. A picture is worth a thousand words —especially to the insurance companies.
For more information, please call Kimberly A. Rosen, DDS at 661-255-2545.