How Dental Innovation Serves Your Smile

The word “innovation” gets thrown around quite a lot these days, and there are good reasons for this. In the past century, we have witnessed so many changes in technology that the way we live now is far different than our ancestors did just a handful of decades ago. Every field of practice, from music to construction to healthcare, has evolved in significant ways. Here, we want to give attention to a few of the dental innovations that are serving our patients’ smiles.

Dental Technologies

The manner in which dentists diagnose conditions and monitor oral health is not often discussed. However, the technologies that are used in dentistry today have improved so significantly that there is reason to cheer. Patients who visit our St. Helens, OR office benefit from digital x-rays and laser cavity finding instrumentation. Additionally, we use simple yet powerful modalities like Bio-EMG and Myomonitor TENs to facilitate accurate diagnosis and treatment planning for bite issues and TMJ disorder.

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings aren’t necessarily new, but they are still catching on. This innovative restorative method is more than a cosmetically pleasing treatment for cavities. The composite resin material from which tooth-colored fillings are made is ultra-durable, too, which maximizes the lifespan of this type of filling. Furthermore, composite resin is bonded to enamel, leading to secure, tight margins around the restoration.

Dental Implants

Tooth loss has historically been a primary problem that then led to others. For example, tooth loss could lead to a misaligned bite if the empty space is not filled with an artificial tooth. Filling space with an artificial tooth has meant that two healthy teeth would need to be altered so they could anchor that prosthesis. Widespread tooth loss, even if corrected with dentures, has historically led to bone loss that eventually changes the shape of the face. Now, we’ve got dental implants to negate all of these secondary concerns after tooth loss.

Dental implants are tiny titanium posts that are set into the jawbone, where they will become solidified in bone. Their presence in the jawbone promotes bone regeneration and also lays a new foundation for tooth stability.

Schedule a Consultation

Experience the value of personal, friendly dental care. Contact our St. Helens office at (503) 397-6144.