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Digital X-RAYS
Like old fashioned dental X-rays, digital dental X-rays are used by your dentist to take images of your mouth, tooth structure, jaw bones. In order to take the digital images, your dentist or a dental technician will place a small sensor in your mouth. This small sensor is connected to the processing computer by a very thin wire.
Your dentist or the dental tech inputs the command for the X-ray machine to send an X-ray through your teeth and into the sensor. The sensor captures the resulting image and sends it through the wire to the computer. Then your dentist will reposition the sensor and take additional digital X-rays until all of your teeth have been X-rayed.
With digital dental X-rays, your dentist or other dental professional is able to immediately see your teeth and jaw bones. This means that assessment and diagnosis is virtually instantaneous.
Panoramic X-RAYS
The panoramic is a type of x-ray commonly used in dentistry today; it gives a broad overview of the entire mouth. This X-ray supplies information about the teeth, upper and lower jawbone, sinuses, and other hard and soft tissues of the head and neck.
One advantage of the panoramic X-ray is its ease of use. Unlike other X-rays where the film is placed inside the patient’s mouth, the panoramic image is taken by a machine that moves around the patient’s head. Some people may be familiar with the panoramic X-ray because it is usually taken when the wisdom teeth are being evaluated. The X-ray will also reveal deep cavities and dental gum disease and has many other applications, including evaluating patients with past or present TMJ or jaw joint problems and can be used on those who require full or partial removable dentures, dental implants or dental braces or those who are at risk or suspected of having oral cancer, tumors of the jaw, have impacted teeth, or have had any recent trauma to the face or teeth.
The panoramic X-ray can also identify some not so common problems, such as calcification within the carotid artery that may indicate the potential for a stroke. The panoramic X-ray is an important part of a thorough dental examination. We usually recommend a panoramic X-ray once every three to five years for most patients. Although the panoramic X-ray does not provide as much detail when evaluating the teeth and gums as other dental X-rays, it can pick-up potential problems that the other x-rays cannot. We are happy to provide digital panoramic x-rays as another way to minimize radiation and share information with specialists and patients more easily!
3D Cone Beam Image
Dental cone beam computed tomography is a special type of x-ray equipment used when regular dental or facial x-rays are not sufficient. Your doctor may use this technology to produce three dimensional (3-D) images of your teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways and bone in a single scan.
Cone Beam Volumetric Tomography is a diagnostic imaging technology that uses radiation in a manner similar to conventional radiographic imaging, with the difference being that cone beam images are converted into a three-dimensional view that can then be manipulated by sophisticated computer software for a wide variety of applications, including implant, orthodontic, orthognathic TMJ, and other diagnostic purposes.
Dr. Withrow is proud to offer this new technology and mainly uses it in preparation for implants.
Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry is used by dentists to provide a relaxing, calming experience for patients who are having dental procedures performed. There are many forms of sedation that can be administered; in our office, we offer oral sedation, local sedation, topical sedation, and nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”). This variety of methods allows us to offer the flexibility of both minimal and moderate sedation depending on the level of anxiety the patient anticipates.
Minimal sedation relieves the anxiety patients feel before and during their dental exam. However, minimal sedation allows patients to respond verbally and physically to Dr. Withrow’s directions. The patient will be awake but calm and may remember parts of the experience after the procedure is completed.
Moderate, or conscious, sedation relaxes the patient even more, but the patient will only be able to respond to a larger stimulus in his environment. The patient will likely slur their words and will most likely not remember anything about the procedure.
Rotary Endodontics
Rotary endodontics employs electrically-powered instruments to perform the root canal treatment rather than traditional stainless-steel manual files. The electric hand tool is equipped with a tip constructed out of nickel titanium – a material that is five times more flexible than stainless steel.
Due to the flexibility and unique movement of the nickel-titanium instrument, it can be inserted deeply into a curved root canal without stretching or damaging the passageway. This makes for a quick and reliable procedure.