What’s New?
The Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible answers this question with the assertion that there is “nothing new under the sun.” In all facets of life, we see trends and styles come and go. If we wait long enough, these happenings, activities, and styles all tend to repeat. So many times, we see history repeat itself. As we live longer and see more many of us can certainly attest to this.
Although newness can be a fluctuating variable, I want to suggest that the way we look at things and interact with them does change and shows newness.
New Technology Helps us Serve Our Patients Better
Over the past year, I brought new technology and instruments into my practice for the benefit of my patients. These machines, computers, and instruments allow me to do or see things in a different and better way than I could do previously. I want to share with you some of these exciting developments.
Last week I discussed the demise of goopy impression material to make 3D images of teeth. I utilize a state of the art digital scanner to view replications of your mouth and teeth to create an exact copy. This scanner creates an extremely accurate picture of your mouth on a screen. This record is stored on a computer so that I can reference it in the future. No, I don’t need a room dedicated to thousands of models of all of my patient’s mouths. Providing a space for so many models of mouths was very impractical. My storage now is in a digital format. It can fit in a briefcase.
Added Information = Better Treatment Decisions
Often I am asked if anything changed regarding a particular tooth. Until now, except for my memory, I had no way of knowing for sure. With my storage of a picture of your mouth, my new digital scanner compares past and present pictures of your mouth and calculates the change. With this added information, I can make better treatment decisions for you.
New Technology is Helping Our Patients Visualize Their Improved Results
Envisioning how something will look is always a challenge. Over the years, I devised many ways to help my patients see things that will happen.
Straightening teeth is one of those procedures that fit into that category. I never had a great way to show the final anticipated result to patients. The digital scanner that I use is partnered closely with the InvisalignTM procedure. Now, I scan a mouth and instantaneously show my patient what their result could be. Prediction of results in a visual fashion helps many people decide to start treatment or possibly wait.
The way that I can visualize and share this knowledge with my patients makes me a better dentist. It allows me to provide a high level of care. If you would like to take advantage of this cutting edge & new technology and learn more about your mouth, please call Megan at 440.951.7856 and set up an appointment. I look forward to meeting you.
Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.