Healthy Living w/ Latest Dental Tech

To most people, the whir of a dentist's drill is one of life's least pleasurable sounds. But how about the silent snap of a digital photo?

With constant advances in technology, getting rid of that toothache or repairing a broken tooth is becoming a less painful process. Drs. Van Gyn, Staples and Assoc of Academy Dental are one of a handful of dentists in Victoria using new technology to fill cavities, replace old fillings and repair teeth. They recently purchased a German made CEREC CAD/CAM, an instrument that allows dentists to take a digitial image of a patient's tooth and mold a perfect replacement - all in one appointment.

CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramics. CAD/CAM stands for Computer-Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing. The German invented technology has been used for decades in engineering and car manufacturing but was only recently expanded to medicine. Today, this technology is also used to make precision-fitting artificial joints and heart valves.

Here is how it works: after the patient is numbed, their tooth is sprinkled with a titanium powder that allows the infrared camera to photograph the tooth - it's the same powder used to paint "M" on M&M's. The photo is transferred to a computer where the dentist can edit and design the restoration to fit the patient's bite. Then, the 3-D image is wirelessly transmitted to an adjacent machine that robotically mills the restoration out of a small porcelain block. It is bonded to the patient's tooth where it is supposed to stay for life.

The porcelain, Dr. Van Gyn says, is a more reliable and natural alternative to the traditional mercury metal fillings or white composite fillings that have been used for years. Unlike metal, porcelain does not expand or contract or trap heat and cold. Sometimes metal fillings leak and the next thing you know you need a root canal. Also, unlike traditional crowns, there is no need to file down the existing tooth and no need to send a mold off to the lab. "We wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for the patients," says Dr. Staples. "They want what's best for themselves - and who doesn't?"

Since purchasing the $110, 000 CEREC machine, Drs. Van Gyn and Stapes have attended numerous training sessions and will attend another training session with their assistants in June to learn more about the technology and how it can help more patients. They are excited to be riding this technological wave.