DENTAL TECHNOLOGY USED BY DENTIST
Dr. Alonso prides himself on being a leader in technological advancements in dentistry. He believes using cutting-edge technology provides better treatment options for patients, as well as a better overall experience. Below are some of the ways Dr. Alonso is using technology in his office.
DIGITAL SCANNER
Dr. Alonso uses digital scanning as a replacement for traditional dental impressions. With traditional dental impressions, there can be unpleasant tastes, discomfort in the gums, stretching out of the lips and cheeks, and some patients with a sensitive gag reflex can be very uncomfortable. Digital scanning eliminates the mess, is more comfortable, and the overall experience for the patient is much better. Digital scans are also more accurate than traditional dental impressions and are a great tool for patient education.
DIGITAL SMILE DESIGN
Digital Smile Design is an exciting new platform to aid in patient education, planning of cases, and verifying the accuracy of cases. With Digital Smile Design, Dr. Alonso can show you a preview of your ideal smile. All it takes is 5 pictures and a digital scan of your mouth. Using this information, the lab fabricates a beautiful mock-up that can be snapped in the patient’s mouth for a preview of your smile. This allows the patient to be the co-author of their smile. If there is anything the patient doesn’t like, we can change it digitally to the patient’s liking. Dr. Alonso has trained as a smile designer and smile architect. Understanding the concepts of smile design allows Dr. Alonso to deliver smiles that are customized to each individual.
SLEEP TECHNOLOGY
When Dr. Alonso screens a patient and suspects disturbed sleep, he typically offers an at-home sleep screening. Dr. Alonso has invested in screening devices that patients can take home and use while they sleep. The at-home sleep screening device will measure your breathing and sleep activity in the comfort of your home. Dr. Alonso is then able to download and analyze your sleep reports. From there, Dr. Alonso makes a suggestion on how to best improve sleep. Dr. Alonso works with a great team of sleep physicians, ENT’s, myofunctional therapists, and orthodontists to ensure the patient receives the best care possible. From a dental perspective, Dr. Alonso uses this data to ensure that he is respecting the overall wellness of the patient when he does dental treatment. It is his intention to ensure that any treatment he performs does not interfere with quality sleep.
Oral ID
Early detection of oral abnormalities has been a priority of Dr. Alonso’s since the inception of Alonso Family Dental. As technology has developed to aid in screening, Dr. Alonso adopted the use of the Oral ID equipment. It uses UV light to highlight abnormal tissues. This UV light helps Dr. Alonso detect abnormalities much earlier and take the appropriate measures much sooner. Early detection can mean the difference between Stage I or II and Stage III or IV oral cancer, which can have a huge impact on the prognosis for a patient.
FIRST FIT
FirstFit is an innovative preparation technology new to the United States. That technology is now being used to guide dentists to create more exact, conservative preparations of teeth. FirstFit is a fast, convenient, and safe solution for our patients to transform their smile in as little as a few hours.
FirstFit technology has several advantages:
It allows a dentist to be more conservative with preparations of teeth leading to less tooth removal. It allows for the preparation of the tooth and the delivery of the final restoration to be done on the same day, thus avoiding temporary restorations and saving the patient an additional visit.
With guides, the time for the patient in the chair is significantly reduced and the appointments are much more efficient. What can be done with FirstFit:
- Crowns
- Conservative inlay bridges to replace a missing tooth
- Veneers
Watch 1-minute video of procedure of First Fit