At Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we are truly a state of the art dental practice. Okay, so what does state of the art really mean? State of the art refers to the highest development as of a device, technique or scientific field achieved at a particular time. Here are just some of the things we offer that make us one of the most up to date offices in the city:
Dental Vibe!
Here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we have got the VIBE! The Dental Vibe is a brand new device that eliminates the pain of dental injections. It is a painless device that uses a certain frequency of vibration that tricks your brain and shuts down the pain receptors. According to a national survey 50% of patients avoid the dentist due to anxiety about pain. The biggest fear is the injection. You may have had a dentist shake your lip when giving you an injection and the Dental Vibe is based on the same theory however the Dental Vibe is much more sophisticated and has real science to back it up. Other products use standard or ultrasonic (high speed sound) vibration. The problem with this is the brain rapidly becomes accustomed to this stimulus, negating the pain-blocking effect. The Dental Vibe is a patented device that is designed to overcome this problem. At Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we are truly a state of the art practice and offer you the latest in technology to ensure that your visit is as smooth and as pain free as possible. Click on the video link to hear Dr. Goldberg, one of the co-inventors of the Dental Vibe, explain further how this unique device works.
Less Time, More Comfort with Isolite™
Happy patients spend less time in the dental chair with more comfort. To help achieve this we use the Isoite™ system. This system has a soft and flexible mouthpiece to shield your tongue and cheek during procedures. Here are some of the benefits of this system:
• It will protect your tongue.
• It will protect your cheek.
• It will hold your mouth open, so you do not have to.
• Its suction will help eliminate excess saliva.
• It will help reduce unpleasant tastes.
• It will help reduce unpleasant smells.
• It will help isolate the area being worked on and act as a barrier, giving the assistant the ability to remove big pieces with suction.
• Its special built-in light will help the dentist see better inside your mouth and this means better quality work.
• It will help the dentist and the assistant be more time-efficient, because they know there are other places you would rather be today.
Laser Assisted Cavity Detection
Since identifying and fixing cavities are two of the most important things we do for patients, we use Midwest Caries I.D. Technology. This low intensity laser detects areas of decay more precisely and sooner than less accurate methods of the past including “picking” at the biting surface with an instrument which has now been shown that it can actually create a hole into which plaque and debris can accumulate. Midwest caries I.D. emits a light that shines through the tooth structure and healthy tooth structure will illuminate as green that is easily visible to the dentist. Decay will illuminate as red with a series of beeps. The number of beeps let the dentist or hygienist know how deep the cavity is. This technology can identify decay before it shows up on an x-ray. It is also used as an adjunct to x-rays to determine how deep a cavity may be since x-rays are only 2 dimensional. In addition to preventing the spread of decay, this technology’s ability to catch decay earlier means that the fillings required are often simpler. This allows us to use minimally invasive dental filling procedures and preserve more natural tooth. Additionally, using this comfortable detection method enables us to monitor areas of concern without repeated x-rays.
Digital X-Rays
Here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we have digital x-rays in all of our treatment rooms. Digital x-rays cut your radiation exposure by about 80%-90%. People who keep their teeth live on an average of 7 to 10 years longer, so caring for your teeth and detecting problems early so that you do not end up losing your teeth is crucial to your health. Getting periodic x-rays is a valuable tool in early detection of potential problems . Digital x-rays also do not require any harmful chemicals to develop so therefore they are better for the environment and also for you since you are not exposed to the gases of these chemicals when you are in the office. We are in the process of making our office as green as possible!
Intra-Oral Cameras
At Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we have an intra-oral camera available to use in each treatment room. Using this camera, we can give you a “tour of your mouth” on a TV screen! No more trying to visualize what the dentist is seeing or trying to look in a small handheld mirror at a tooth. But no matter how skilled the dentist is or how bright a light he uses, it can be difficult to see inside the mouth. Even with a magnifying mirror, it is possible to miss the often tiny indicators of developing problems. The intra-oral camera is a technological development that allows the dentist to detect the smallest of details and also show them to the patient and record them for later reference. The camera is used to guide you through your diagnosis and treatment options, keeping you at the center of your treatment plan. We want you to feel informed at every step of the way, so you can make smart choices for your oral health and smile. More and more patients are approaching the health of their teeth and their overall health with a more pro-active and informed approach and we share the same philosophy here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio. Too often patients are not given enough data to be able to make what is the best choice for them, and by using an intraoral camera you can see what the dentist is seeing and can make more informed choices.
Digital Smile Make-Overs
Ever wondered what your smile would be like with veneers or maybe you have just one chipped tooth and would like to know how you would look if it were fixed? At Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we use the most recent and advanced smile make over software to give you a more realistic, life-like image of how you would look with a new smile. This software is not a cookie cutter set of teeth that is superimposed over your own but takes into account your teeth shape and size and the adjacent teeth so that you get a tailor made picture of what you would look like with a better smile, no unnatural piano key looking teeth here! You can even take your picture home with you!
Velscope
If your dentist is not using the Velscope technology as part of your oral cancer screening then he or she could be missing cancerous or precancerous lesions that are not visible to the naked eye under traditional white light. Mortality rates associated with oral cancer have remained unchanged for over 30 years, partly due to the limitations of white light examination of the oral tissue.This has created a dire need for an improved oral tissue screening procedure that would make it possible for clinicians to accurately identify tissue changes at and below the surface before they become apparent under white light. The Velscope is a special light that that illuminates changes in tissue. It is a simple and painless examination. Changes in tissue that cannot be seen by the naked eye show up as dark brown when this special light is shone on the tissue. At Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we believe that you are not just a set of teeth and that your overall heath is important and that is why we use the Velscope. Check out the video on this latest technology.
Our Labs
Over the last few years there have been tremendous improvements in the type of materials that are used by dental labs. Things that were not possible 2 years ago are possible now with the development of stronger, more natural and life-like materials. One of the labs we work with is located right here in San Antonio. They house a 12,000 square foot facility and have all the latest technology. Over 215 national labs competed in Lab Management Today’s Crown Challenge. This lab was awarded one of four winners with the highest points. Utilizing these top labs, means that you will have many more options available to you and therefore are not limited to only a few choices such as the case with smaller or even in-house labs. It is difficult for these smaller or in house labs to keep up with and purchase the extremely expensive equipment and updates needed to stay abreast with the changing field of dental restorations. Therefore, most offer only a few limited choices and may be using old technology such as crowns and bridges with inferior metals such as nickel that can show through as dark at the gum line. Newer technology allows crowns and even very large bridges to be made without this type of metal core so that your smile will continue to look beautiful for years to come. Because Dr. Camacho works closely with the dental technician, you can feel comfortable that you are receiving the best restoration possible. We also have the capability to do any custom shading chair-side just like an in house lab, so you get the best of both: an in house lab and the latest in technology. Now that is truly state of the art!
A Better Smile…A Better You…A Better Life!
