Cone beam scanner in dental office

How Digital Technology Is Revolutionizing Dentistry

Team Digital Technology

Digital technology has changed our lives in many ways, and dentistry is no exception. We’re proud to incorporate the latest advances in dental technology at Bella Dental because we know they improve both treatment outcomes and patient comfort, which makes getting the dental care you need a more stress-free experience. Here are some of the state-of-the-art techniques and technologies we use at our practice.

Digital Radiographs

Radiographs, or x-rays, are a common concern for many patients who are worried about unnecessary radiation exposure. Unfortunately, patients who turn down dental x-rays year after year often end up with serious dental problems, as we’re unable to diagnose cavities and other issues in their early stages. Digital radiographs let us get the imaging we need to provide optimal dental care with significantly less radiation than standard x-rays.

In addition, digital x-rays are a greener technology, eliminating the waste of film and developer. From a diagnostic perspective, these radiographs provide superior imaging, allowing us to pull up your x-rays on our computers with the click of a mouse, send them to other specialists, and enlarge and zoom in on images as needed to take a closer look.

Cone Beam Scanner 3D Imaging

With our cone beam technology, we can see a digital tomographic three-dimensional view of any area that needs examination. Unlike two-dimensional x-rays, our cone beam scanner gives us a 360-degree view of each tooth and the surrounding tissue and bone. The views are nearly limitless, all with less radiation than a traditional medical CT scan. This imaging is fast and painless, and it allows detailed treatment planning for a wide range of dental procedures.

Digital Impressions

It wasn’t that long ago that the only way to get dental impressions was to sit in the exam chair with a tray full of messy impression material oozing into your mouth. It wasn’t a comfortable experience! Even worse, just a slight movement or slip of the tray would mean you’d have to sit through the process again.

Digital impressions make impression material and trays obsolete. Instead, we can use an intraoral camera that takes images of your mouth in a matter of seconds. These images are used to generate a three-dimensional model of your teeth and jaw on our computer. This model is highly accurate and allows us to plan treatments with precise detail and show you a preview of what your teeth will look like once your treatment is complete.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

You don’t have to be that old to remember the massive filing cabinets that used to be behind the reception area at every dentist’s office. Whenever you’d go in for a treatment, a manila folder full of your records and notes would be pulled out of the cabinet. It may be hard to believe, but there are still some practices that do things this way!

We use a state-of-the-art electronic medical records system, which allows us to quickly access your information and eliminates the need for paper treatment records and notes. This is also much more secure than keeping records on paper, ensuring patient confidentiality. If you need records sent to your insurance company or another specialist, it can be done in an instant.

Learn More About Digital Technology at Bella Dental

If you’d like to learn more about how we use digital technology to create beautiful smiles, contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our three New Jersey locations.