Centre for Distinctive Dentistry Blog - Dr. Ned Nippoldt
St. Paul, Woodbury, Minneapolis, Hudson, Lake Elmo, Stillwater, Minnesota
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
New Technologies With Digital Impressioning For Crowns, Bridges, Implants, Invisalign
I am so excited about two new technologies that we've introduced to our practice that improve the comfort and aesthetics for patients.
First, if you are a patient who dreads the goopy, sometimes messy process of traditional impressions that are part of the procedure when you get a crown, bridge, implant crown or orthotic made, we now offer digital impressioning. With digital impressioning, there are no bulky trays or impression materials used. Instead, the only thing that touches your teeth is a hand-held wand that scans your teeth. You can watch the computer screen as we capture an image of your tooth surfaces and gum tissue with the camera and the computer builds a 3-D model of your teeth. At the touch of a button, we send the digital impression to the lab to create accurate-fitting crowns. I've been watching this technology develop over the past few years and now believe it has reached the stage in development where it truly benefits my patients.
Hand in hand with digital impressioning for crowns and bridges comes digital impresioning for Invisalign. Invisalign is an alternative to traditional braces that straightens teeth by using a series of clear, removable aligners that gradually move your teeth. Because they are virtually invisible, most people won't know you are wearing them.
Why is straightening your teeth so important? Aesthetics is only one small benefit. Another major reason is that properly aligned teeth are easier to keep clean and can improve your periodontal health. More and more research points to the link between periodontal health and the overall health of your body. Periodontal disease can cause harmful bacteria to get into your blood stream, which in turn may increase your risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, complications of diabetes, and possible adverse pregnancy outcomes. Aligned teeth also decreases the risk of abnormal wear and can cause less stress on the supporting jaw joints.
Good change is exciting. I can't wait to see what the next decade brings.
First, if you are a patient who dreads the goopy, sometimes messy process of traditional impressions that are part of the procedure when you get a crown, bridge, implant crown or orthotic made, we now offer digital impressioning. With digital impressioning, there are no bulky trays or impression materials used. Instead, the only thing that touches your teeth is a hand-held wand that scans your teeth. You can watch the computer screen as we capture an image of your tooth surfaces and gum tissue with the camera and the computer builds a 3-D model of your teeth. At the touch of a button, we send the digital impression to the lab to create accurate-fitting crowns. I've been watching this technology develop over the past few years and now believe it has reached the stage in development where it truly benefits my patients.
Hand in hand with digital impressioning for crowns and bridges comes digital impresioning for Invisalign. Invisalign is an alternative to traditional braces that straightens teeth by using a series of clear, removable aligners that gradually move your teeth. Because they are virtually invisible, most people won't know you are wearing them.
Why is straightening your teeth so important? Aesthetics is only one small benefit. Another major reason is that properly aligned teeth are easier to keep clean and can improve your periodontal health. More and more research points to the link between periodontal health and the overall health of your body. Periodontal disease can cause harmful bacteria to get into your blood stream, which in turn may increase your risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, complications of diabetes, and possible adverse pregnancy outcomes. Aligned teeth also decreases the risk of abnormal wear and can cause less stress on the supporting jaw joints.
Good change is exciting. I can't wait to see what the next decade brings.
Labels: bridge, crown, Implant, Periodontal Disease
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