Digital Dentistry: Transforming Patient Care Through Cutting-Edge Technologies
You’ve probably heard stories of how someone’s life changed in an instant due to an amazing new medical device. In recent years, such stories have become more common, as technological advances make transformations that used to take weeks or months possible within days or even hours. Dental restorations – especially dental implant procedures that can dramatically transform a person’s life by bestowing a new set of naturally performing teeth in a single day – are among the many health care services that have been revolutionized through cutting-edge technologies.
When it comes to dental implants, few dentistry professionals have witnessed the striking changes brought about through digital dentistry the way Dr. Harley Richards has. A board-certified oral surgeon at New Teeth Now, Dr. Richards began performing dental implantations more than 40 years ago, when the procedure was in its infancy. In a recent webinar, he reflected on some of the many ways that high-tech imaging and 3D printing tools have radically improved the speed and precision of dental implant placement, which in turn has dramatically enhanced patient care and satisfaction.
Exactly What Is Digital Dentistry?
When dental professionals refer to digital dentistry, they’re typically referring to the use of computer-aided tools that help them diagnose and treat dozens of oral health conditions. Although some of these tools are becoming more common in general dentists’ clinics, their impact is perhaps most eye-popping when it comes to dental restorations, including the placement of full arch and full mouth dental implants.
Dr. Richards refers to these ever-evolving high-tech tools as “digital innovations.” Some of the innovations that have benefited the New Teeth Now process include:
The MicronMapper
From the jaw size, shape and alignment to spacing between teeth, everyone’s mouth is one of a kind. That’s why, for decades, patients who needed prosthetic teeth had to sit still with gooey putty in their mouths for up to 15 minutes or so to form a mold that would then be sent off to a dental lab.
At the lab, specially trained technicians would use the mold and the dentist’s instructions to craft custom teeth to fit the individual patient. The entire process could take weeks. And if an impression wasn’t perfect, the whole process might have to be repeated, causing a lengthy delay for the patient who was eagerly awaiting new teeth.
Thanks to a state-of-the-art, on-site dental lab, delays like those didn’t happen for New Teeth Now patients. Even so, the introduction of the MicronMapper digital imaging tool has revolutionized the process of customizing new teeth to fit each patient’s full arch dental implants.
“It can take a digital impression of six implants in under 10 seconds,” Dr. Richards explained. “And the digital impression which it takes is far superior in accuracy from the old traditional type of impression.”
Indeed, the manufacturer of the MicronMapper lists a 99.9% accuracy rate for the innovative tool, which uses a technique known as “photogrammetry.” In other words, it works by capturing multiple images from different angles and stitching them together to create a digital model that appears on a computer screen. The three-dimensional (3D) model can then be used in the New Teeth Now on-site dental lab to create a bridge and new teeth that fit perfectly onto each patient’s newly placed dental implants.
Before getting the MicronMapper, oral surgeons occasionally had to make slight adjustments to prosthetic devices to deliver the ideal fit, Dr. Richards said. The new photogrammetry tool has all but eliminated the need for adjustments while also dramatically accelerating the measurement process. Combined with the innovative 3D digital printer, the MicronMapper plays an important role in allowing patients to leave the clinic with a full set of sturdy, fully customized teeth on the same day they have their dental implant procedure.
3D Digital Printer
Once the digital impressions have been taken using the MicronMapper, they are emailed to a dental prosthetic designer who then uses sophisticated computer software to design the patient’s new teeth. The digital design is then forwarded to computers in the New Teeth Now dental lab, where technicians input the design into a high-tech 3D printer. The printer then produces the dental prosthetic that fits onto the implants, crafting it from a liquid ceramic material known as OnX.
The highly skilled New Teeth Now lab technicians then meticulously paint the prosthetic by hand so that its appearance is virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth and gums.
The whole process, from design to finished teeth, takes about four hours, Dr. Richards said. Generally, a 3D printer can cut the time to produce a dental prosthetic by at least half compared to traditional milling equipment.
CT Scanner
Although the remarkable efficiency and accuracy provided by digital dentistry tools might be most noticeable on the day of a patient’s implant procedure, they actually start much earlier at New Teeth Now. In fact, on the same day the patient visits our clinic for their first consultation, there’s a good chance they’ll have imaging done by one of our two i-CAT 3D digital scanners.
These advanced imaging tools use cone beam computed tomography to generate sophisticated scans of the whole mouth, including jaws, teeth and tooth roots, in a matter of seconds. These scans are translated into detailed, high-resolution 3D models that our oral surgeons use to develop customized plans for dental implant placement according to individual patient needs.
The scanning process is not only quick but also comfortable for the patient, who sits still while the scanning equipment rotates around their head. There’s no need for the patient to bite down on slides to generate X-rays or even have an intraoral digital scanner inserted into their mouth.
Digital Dentistry with a Human Touch
The digital innovations made possible by advances in computer technology have led to a streamlined dental implantation experience with fewer visits to the clinic and spot-on results that busy patients appreciate.
However, at New Teeth Now, we understand that our patients benefit most when we wield these tools with a human touch and maintain the utmost concern for patient comfort. Our attentive approach is evident in our comfortable waiting room with movies and Wi-Fi. It’s even more apparent in our patient-centric consultations, during which we listen carefully to our patients’ goals, thoroughly explain our procedures and answer any questions they have.
What’s more, our in-house dental lab is not only a marvel of technological innovation – it’s also an anxiety-relieving feature that greatly enhances the patient experience at New Teeth Now by allowing them to fully participate in the customization of their beautiful new teeth. Dr. Elliot Dibbs, a restorative dentist at New Teeth Now, explains: “A large number of the patients who come to us for treatment have had severe dental problems for many, many, many years, sometimes dating back to childhood.”
Often, this translates into a need for reassurance that their new dental implants and artificial teeth will resolve their problems once and for all.
“If I’ve got a question with this patient about can we make this change, is this going to be feasible, I can go across the hall, get one of my lab technicians… bring them across the hall, and they can talk to the patient themselves,” Dibbs said.
“So we eliminate the need for me to try to interpret the patient’s concerns and questions and needs in a phone call or in a note. They can speak directly to the technicians.”
Committed to Delivering Excellence in Patient Care
The oral surgeons, restorative dentists, dental lab technicians and other professional staff at New Teeth Now have provided thousands of patients with full mouth dental implants that support beautiful, natural-looking teeth, all of which can last a lifetime with proper care. We’re committed to staying abreast of the latest technology and techniques, which can further improve not only our results but especially the experience we offer our patients.
We take pride in offering all of the services our dental implant patients need under one roof, so there’s no need to travel to another clinic to get tooth extractions or digital scans, or have those scans sent to a faraway dental lab that might take weeks to fabricate your new teeth.
If you’ve been struggling with multiple missing or failing teeth and thinking about replacing them with full arch or full mouth dental implants, you won’t find a better clinic than New Teeth Now. Contact us today for more information and to schedule a consultation at one of our locations in Florida and California.
