At White Mountain Dental in North Conway, NH, we are excited about the technology we can use to enhance our comprehensive care and decrease your discomfort. We have replaced some of the older methods with remarkable devices that give us even more accurate information about your dental health with minimal inconvenience.
INTRAORAL SCANNER
This device replaces the plaster molds of your mouth. Plaster molds were less effective than the intraoral scanner for several reasons:
- Shipping those molds to a laboratory took valuable time.
- Storing those molds for later reference was troublesome.
- Patients with sensitive gag reflexes were very uncomfortable.
The intraoral scanner we use at this office solves all of those problems. We are able to gather more accurate information about the shapes/positions of your teeth than a traditional mold can, and eliminate the gag-inducing process at the same time.
In the past, one of the most unpleasant parts of the patient experience was the putty that slowly formed around their teeth to make a mold. Intraoral scanners give the dentist more accurate maps of your teeth while being much more comfortable for you.
The intraoral scanner is a wand that uses a light source to map the inside of your mouth. It is sensitive enough to show the finer details that were sometimes missed with traditional molds. We are able to view the digital models of your mouth immediately and store them for future reference. This device enables the dentist to focus on your overall care with accuracy and efficiency.
DENTAL CAMERAS
Our staff is trained with cameras configured to take detailed photographs of your mouth, including your tongue and gums. We use these pictures to monitor the progress of treatments and document any health issues. These pictures help us track your oral health easily and accurately.
DIGITAL X-RAYS
Using digital X-rays allows us to take detailed pictures of your jaw and bone structure with less radiation than the traditional X-ray. This alleviates safety concerns associated with x-rays for both patients and staff while still rendering excellent images.
Panoramic X-Rays
The panoramic X-ray is the wide shot that lets the dentist see the entire dental arch in one image. It shows not only erupted teeth but also incoming adult teeth and wisdom teeth, which is great for being able to see if there will be enough room for them or if they need some extra help or extraction. Panoramic X-rays also help to identify dental cysts, tumors, and abscesses that develop below the gum line in the dental roots and jawbones.
Bitewing X-Rays
To get a closer look at an individual region of the dental arch, we use bitewing X-rays. These are the ones where you have to bite down on a piece of plastic to hold the X-ray film in place, then wait for the beep. Normally we’ll take four in total, one for each quadrant of the mouth. These are better than the panoramic shots at showing the gaps between teeth and make it easier to spot cavities and tooth decay.
Periapical X-Rays
If we ever need an extreme close-up of a tooth, we might take a periapical X-ray. These are only necessary when it already looks like there’s a problem with that tooth and we need to see it in greater detail, and we can take these X-rays alongside the bitewings.
Call Your North Conway Dentist Today
In addition to the amazing technology already present at our North Conway office, we are constantly learning about the latest techniques and tools available to give you the best care. Call White Mountain Dental to find out more! Check the map to see where our practice is located, and check out our business page to learn more about us.