Advanced Technology

Dental technology continually evolves, improving the comfort, care, and safety dentists can provide to patients. At Integral Family Dental, keeping in step with these advancements is core to our holistic approach to dental care. Using the most sophisticated diagnostic and treatment tools ensures we are providing you with the highest level of care at all times.

iCAT Cone Beam CT Scanner

Our practice utilizes state-of-the-art, small-volume iCAT cone-beam CT (computed tomography) technology (CBCT) that provides highly accurate 3-D radiographic images for diagnosing, planning, and treating dental conditions. This allows three-dimensional visualization of teeth, bone, sinuses, and surrounding structures with minimal radiation to the patient, enabling anatomical accuracy and patient care not possible with 2-D technologies (regular dental x-rays).

A CBCT scan is similar to a CAT scan but uses a cone-shaped beam rather than a fan-shaped beam. The technology is used in a significantly more compact form. It produces much less radiation, making it safer for our patients than a traditional CT scan while providing exceptional resolution.

Digital X-Rays

Our doctors choose carefully which and when radiographs are taken. There are many guidelines that we follow. Radiographs allow us to see everything we cannot see with our own eyes. This enables us to detect cavities between your teeth, determine bone level, and analyze the health of your bone. We can also examine the roots and nerves of teeth, diagnose lesions such as cysts or tumors, and assess damage when trauma occurs.

Dental radiographs are invaluable aids in diagnosing, treating, and maintaining dental health. Exposure time for dental radiographs is extremely minimal. We utilize Digital Imaging Technologies within the office. With digital imaging, exposure time is about 50 percent less when compared to traditional radiographs.

Digital X-rays offer more precision since we view the image on a computer monitor instead of holding a 35mm film to the light. Digital X-rays result in 1/6th of the radiation exposure to you.

T-Scan (TekScan)

Proper dental occlusion (how your upper and lower teeth come together) is crucial to your health, including eating and speaking appropriately. In the past, it has been challenging to determine the various aspects of a patient’s occlusion, such as their bite force and time. The T-scan accurately evaluates how and where the teeth meet, the strength of the bite, and the timing. This information is electronically sent to our computers, where it is displayed onscreen.

With T-Scan, everything from dental crowns to mouthguards are custom designed for a more comfortable fit right out of the gate. Fewer adjustments are needed, the design is precise, and the feel is natural.

Joint Vibration Analysis

The American Dental Association approves joint Vibration Analysis (JVA) to measure how the Temporomandibular Joints function by recording and measuring the vibrations of bones and soft tissues in and around the TMJ. It is far less expensive and time-consuming than an MRI. It offers detailed, objective information on how the joint functions as you open and close your mouth. JVA allows us to not only discover any anomalies and treat them but monitor the progression of changes and degeneration of the joint over time to prevent future problems.

Intraoral Scanner Trios 3Shape

Say goodbye to the days of gagging on trays of gooey impression material while your dentist takes a dental impression. We have installed the innovative TRIOS Intraoral Scanner that quickly and comfortably takes three-dimensional, full-color digital images of teeth, gums, oral structures, existing dentures, and implants in record time. This small, handheld device is placed in a patient’s mouth to retrieve computer-accurate images that can be viewed immediately—by both patient and doctor—on a screen in our office.

Thanks to cutting-edge technology, we can easily create dental impressions that can be used to design and produce effective surgical guides and restorations, track gingival changes, and create mockups.

Multiwave Locked System – Cold Laser Therapy

Laser Dentistry may be the right choice for patients who do not look forward to needles, drilling, or numbness.

Laser dentistry is one of dentistry’s latest advances. The laser delivers energy in the form of light. Depending on the intended result, this energy travels at different wavelengths and is absorbed by a “target.” In dentistry, these targets can be tooth enamel, decay, gum tissue, or whitening enhancers applied to the teeth. Each one absorbs a different wavelength of light while reflecting others.

Laser dentistry can be used for either tooth or soft tissue-related procedures. In many cases, there is no pain, eliminating the need for local anesthesia. Unlike a dental drill, dental lasers do not produce heat or vibration, making the procedure quite comfortable for most patients. Following soft tissue surgical procedures using cold laser therapy, there is no need for suturing. This results in much faster healing times.

Lasers can even be used to diagnose cavities. They can find hidden decay in teeth in its earliest stages. Caught early, the decay can sometimes be reversed through hygiene and fluoride treatment and may never need filling.

Areas of dental care that benefit from laser technology:

• Cavity diagnosis and removal
• Curing, or hardening, bonding materials
• Whitening teeth
• Periodontal care
• Pediatric procedures
• Aphthous Ulcer treatment (canker sore)
• Frenectomy (tongue-tie release) without anesthesia or sutures
• Root canals 
• Internal bleaching to lighten up the tooth from inside out
• Crown lengthening, gingivectomy, and other gum corrections

Dental lasers are safe and effective for children and adults.

Precision Dentistry

When you seek care at our office, you are assured that Drs. Jaimes, and her staff utilize the latest technology to enhance patient comfort, safety, and results.

Our practice uses high-power microscopes to enhance the precision of patient care.

Dentistry is micro-surgery. We use microscopes similar to those used by ophthalmologists to create dental restorations with exact fit and finish.

In addition to allowing meticulous, close-up work, the microscope directs a beam of light directly on the teeth, minimizing glare for you.

Many dentists use air-driven “handpieces” (the dental term for “drills”). While acceptable for many procedures, these “whiney sounding” air-powered hand pieces all have a degree of non-concentricity; they do not rotate perfectly smoothly.

For the most precise aspects of restorative procedures, we use electric handpieces. This results in extraordinarily precise interfaces between your tooth and your new restoration (dental crown, tooth veneer, or tooth filling). With a more precise tool, there is less vibration and less noise. This will bring more comfort to you as well.

Velscope (Enhanced Oral Cancer Assessment System)

The VELscope Enhanced Oral Assessment System is the latest addition to our arsenal in the battle against oral cancer. A comprehensive oral exam can reveal visible oral lesions, but it is not enough. With the VELscope, your dentist can spot lesions not visible to the naked eye and refer you for a biopsy earlier, resulting in early treatment and far better success rates.

Early detection and treatment are the most significant predictors of survival in patients with oral cancer. The VELscope is a small, handheld device that illuminates the oral tissues with a bright blue light, causing the tissue to fluoresce naturally. Abnormal tissues disrupt this pattern and are easily spotted. Using the VELscope system during our patients’ comprehensive oral exams increases each patient’s odds of survival if they develop oral cancer.

If you have any questions about our advanced dental technologies and how they enhance our holistic approach to your oral health care, please contact our office at Integral Family Dental Phone Number (630) 971-0751. We are always happy to answer your questions and would love to hear from you.