Archive for February, 2006
The Dentist Drill - Root Canal
Posted in Root Canal Articles on February 12th, 2006COLONIAL HEIGHTS - 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 is becoming a less painful process. Dr. J. Keller Vernon of Colonial Heights is one of a handful of dentists in Central Virginia using new technology to fill cavities, replace old fillings and repair teeth. She recently purchased a German-made CEREC CAD/CAM, an instrument that allows dentists to take a digital image of a patient’s tooth and mold a perfect replacement - or what’s called a “restoration” - in minutes.
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, Vernon says CAD/CAM is also used to make precise-fitting artificial joints and heart valves. She and her staff have attended five training sessions to learn how to use the advanced equipment in dentistry.
“It’s a huge learning curve but it’s so worth it,” Vernon said. “We have [patients] in and out of here in one hour.”
After the patient is numbed, their tooth is sprinkled with a titanium powder that allows the infrared camera to photograph their tooth - it’s the same powder used to paint the “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,Vernon says, is a more reliable and natural alternative to the traditional mercury metal fillings that have been used for years. Unlike metal, porcelain does not expand and contract or trap heat or cold.
“Sometimes, [metal] fillings leak and the next thing you know you need a root canal,” she said.
And unlike traditional crowns, there is no need to file down the existing tooth and no need to send a mold off to the lab. Patients are able to eat immediately following the procedure.
“We wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for the patients,” Vernon said. “They want what’s best for themselves - and who doesn’t?”
Since purchasing the $110,000 CEREC machine last summer, Vernon has fitted more than 150 patients with porcelain restorations. She and her staff will attend another training session in May to learn more about the technology and how it can help more patients.
“That is what is so thrilling about all of this,” she said. “There is just no end. I’m so excited to be riding this technological wave.”