The iTero scanner: impressions without putty
If you have ever held a tray of impression putty in your mouth while it set, you will appreciate this one. For crowns, bridges and Invisalign, impressions here are taken with an iTero Element scanner: a small camera on a wand that is moved around your teeth. There is no putty, no tray and nothing to set, and you can pause whenever you need to.
As the wand moves, a digital model of your teeth builds up on the screen, and we can show you what we are looking at: a worn edge, a gap, or the way your teeth meet. If a tray of putty has set off your gag reflex before, tell us. A scan has no tray to hold in place, and we can take a break whenever you need one.
What the scan is used for
The scan is what crowns and bridges are made from. It goes to the dental lab that makes the crown or bridge, and you leave with a temporary in place while it is made. Most crowns take two visits: one to prepare and scan the tooth, and one to fit the finished crown and check the bite.
For Invisalign, the scan is where the plan starts. From it, a plan is built showing how each tooth is meant to move, and you see it before a single aligner is made.
Digital X-rays, on the screen beside you
X-rays here use digital sensors, which need a fraction of the exposure film did. The picture comes straight up on the screen beside you, with no film to develop, so you see what we see while we explain it.
They are taken when there is a reason for them, not as a routine at every visit. Dental X-rays explains when and why, and how to have recent X-rays sent over from another office.
Laser therapy for gum disease
Laser therapy is used here as part of gum disease treatment. The main treatment is scaling and root planing: a deep cleaning, under local anesthetic, that clears tartar and bacteria out of the pockets around the teeth and smooths the roots so the gums can heal.
Where it helps, laser therapy can be part of the same treatment, alongside ARESTIN, an antibiotic placed directly into a pocket. Neither replaces the deep cleaning. They are added for the pockets that need more help to heal, and we will tell you whether either would add anything for your gums.
What technology does not change
Equipment is only part of a visit. The rest does not depend on it: numbing done properly and checked before we start, each step explained before it happens, and a signal you can use at any point to stop. Nitrous oxide and oral sedation are available if you would like more help than that.
And the equipment does not make decisions. We use what the scan and the X-rays show to explain your options in plain words, with a written estimate before any treatment, and the choice is yours.
Questions patients ask
Does the iTero scanner use X-rays?
No. The scanner is a small camera on a wand that records the shape of your teeth. X-rays are separate, taken with digital sensors, and only when there is a reason for them.
How long does a digital scan take?
Usually a few minutes, depending on how much of the mouth is being scanned. You can pause whenever you need to, and there is nothing in your mouth to wait for while it sets.
Is my crown made in the office?
No. The scan goes to a dental lab, which makes the crown, so most crowns take two visits, with a temporary crown protecting the tooth in between. At the second visit we check the fit, the color and the bite before it is bonded.
Do I need laser treatment for my gums?
Not necessarily. The main treatment for gum disease is a deep cleaning called scaling and root planing. Laser therapy is added where it helps a pocket heal, and we will explain whether it would help yours.
Can I see my scans and X-rays?
Yes. Both come up on the screen beside the chair, and we point out what we are looking at as we go. If you would like to see something again, just ask.