Panoramic X - Ray
We have our own Panoramic X-ray machine.
As the name suggests a Panoramic X-ray makes a half circle from ear to ear to produce a panoramic two dimensional representation of all your teeth to give an overall picture of your teeth and jaw bones in one X-Ray film.
Where the bite-wing or peri-apical X-ray film allow us to see small areas of your mouth; the Panoramic X-ray film allows us to see a ¡°panoramic¡± single picture view of your entire oral cavity, teeth and jaws, all at one time.
This ¡°panoramic¡± view of your oral cavity is accomplished by rotating the X-ray film around your head for about 12 seconds. It is important that you remain as still as possible during these 12 seconds to obtain a total angle view for a high quality picture. You will be positioned erect between the x-ray source and the film. Correct position of the head is very important for a good picture.
Our Panoramic machine can also take specialized TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) X-ray¡¯s.
This Panoramic X-ray is especially effective in following situations:
- View and diagnose fractures of the teeth and/or jaws when it is difficult to open your mouth
- View development, position, and eruption of primary teeth so we can see all your child's baby teeth and permanent teeth at one time
- For individuals who have difficulty holding x-ray films in their mouth
- Diagnosing Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction or Jaw joint Problems
- Viewing impacted wisdom teeth
- Detecting presence of bone or gum diseases
- Diagnosing early signs of oral cancer
- Discovering cysts and tumors
- Surveying the sinus region
- Discovering stones in the salivary glands
- Examining trauma patients
- Obtaining baseline data for long term dental health
- Diagnostic data for referring dentist to use
- Identification in case of an accident
- Provide valuable information about signs of Alveolar bone loss
- Evaluation for full or partial removable dentures, dental implants, or braces.
- Alternative for those who can not tolerate other types of films and have sensitive gagging reflex
Air Abrasion - Drill-Free Dentistry
Air Abrasion is a relatively new dental procedure used in place of a traditional dental drill, to prepare teeth for fillings and removing decay. The process involves bombarding the tooth area with a stream of very fine aluminum oxide particles. These particles are propelled by Nitrogen gas hit the tooth under high pressure, bounce off at high speeds, and consequently blast away any decay. Because of the tiny particles used, the technique is sometimes called 'micro-abrasion'. Another name for it is 'kinetic cavity preparation', since the principle of kinetic energy gives the particles enough impact power to actually remove decay and tooth structure.
Air abrasion is used to repair cracks, discolorations, and prepare teeth for bonding procedures. In fact, the technique prepares the tooth surface to provide maximum adhesion for cosmetic work, and increased bonding strength in both restorative and cosmetic applications. Plus, it's great for conducting young children's dental treatments, eliminating the frightening noise, vibrations, and discomfort associated with a dental drill.
Comfort for you
The air abrasion procedure is both simple and effective. You are given protective glasses to wear so that the tiny, harmless dust particles do not bother your eyes. Also, we may fit your mouth with a rubber barrier called a 'rubber dam' around the treatment zone, to keep the particles away from your mouth and confined to a limited area. As we begin the procedure, we gently move the hand-piece into position and blow the air stream at the tooth to be treated. This results in a small amount of harmless, gritty debris, that we will spray and vacuum out of your mouth during the abrasion process; remaining particles are simply rinsed away after the procedure. As, in most of the cases freezing is not required you do not walk out with any funny feeling in the mouth.
Effect on Teeth
Air abrasion's minute particles allow such amazing precision that more of the tooth structure is actually preserved in comparison to the traditional drill procedures. Furthermore, there's less risk of enamel micro-fracturing. It also entails minimal discomfort, since the process does not produce vibration or heat; thus the procedure rarely requires anesthetic. And finally, it's both quieter and faster than using a drill.
Intra-oral Camera
Ever wonder what we see when we examine your mouth? Well, with our intra-oral camera we can "broadcast" your mouth to our TV screen and magnify by 40-50 times, and show you what's right or wrong and how we can make it better. It really helps you understand what and why we do what we do.
Our intra-oral camera displays your teeth on a video screen, allowing Dr. Arya to walk you through your proposed treatment.
Viewing your teeth and restorations with a computer enhanced intra-oral camera and monitor greatly enhances our ability to see problems and recommend treatment at the earliest, most preventable stages. By projecting these images onto the monitor, we can also share our observations with you, so that we can co-discover, co-diagnosed and discuss the best treatment options for you.
This technique provides you the patient, a close up of you to your teeth enabling you to see the current status of your teeth. Dr. Arya uses a specially designed intra-oral camera, which is a tiny video camera that is designed to take up images in area of low light. (The cameras are actually the size of a pen or dental drill.) The images picked up by the camera are magnified many times and displayed on a nearby television monitor. When we see an area in the mouth that needs closer inspection, the video image can be "freeze framed." We can even imprint out a hard copy for you-so you can put it on the refrigerator next to the picture of your kids.
The camera has many uses in our office. Since the camera magnifies its images within the mouth, we can more clearly see any tiny irregularities that could be missed with an unaided visual inspection.
The intra-oral camera helps with co-diagnosing the following:
- Early stages of gum disease can be detected more clearly with the magnified images of the camera.
- Images from the camera can be used to educate the patient about his/her dental condition.
- The camera can be used to allow dentist and patient to plan or monitor progress of treatment.
- The camera validates the need for treatment for insurance companies.
- The camera is useful to help plan esthetic treatment for the patient.
We believe that the use of this camera allows us to work as a team with you to meet your dental care goals. Our office is dedicated to open, honest communication. We are happy to answer any questions you may have and discuss your treatment options with you.
We use high-tech procedures and equipment in our practice, which help us to treat you more effectively and making you more comfortable.
