Dental Technology FAQs
At 21st Century Dental of Irving, our highly trained dentists strive to use the latest techniques and tools in the oral healthcare field for the patient’s sake. These modern touches help make your care experience faster, safer, more accurate, and more comfortable! If you have any questions about the technology we use, take a look at our FAQs below. If you can’t find the information you’re wanting, you can also contact our Irving practice directly.
Why do I need to wear those funny orange glasses when you work on me?
We employ the use of lasers during several dental procedures. Lest we inadvertently perform Lasik surgery on an unsuspecting eye, we have you wear these glasses during those procedures. You may also be asked to wear them during other procedures if the doctor feels the safety of your eyes is at risk.
How do the doctors keep up-to-date on all the current techniques and materials?
You will be hard-pressed to find a procedure, material, or technique that our doctors are unfamiliar with. Aside from the many clinical journals they read and the courses they attend, they converse daily with over 1000 dentists worldwide via the magic of the Internet. This network is an invaluable resource for keeping our office on the leading edge of technology and dental research.
Our doctors also attend over 200 hours of continuing education every year – roughly 180 more than required by the state.
I've always been nervous about getting X-rays. Are there any dangers? Do you have any way to cut down on the amount of radiation you use on me?
Realistically, X-rays are relatively harmless at the doses that are used in dentistry. However, we understand the concerns you may have and have therefore embraced the newest player in this arena. Digital radiography has come of age, and we are pleased to offer it in our office. It decreases the amount of radiation absorbed by 80-90% when compared to traditional film – but to be honest, we are more thrilled with the diagnostics it provides. We can blow the image up on our monitor, enhance the resolution, and search for abnormalities with many tools available.
I don't like drills. Are there any other options?
Another good question! In line with our philosophy of minimally invasive microdentistry, a technique known as "air abrasion" can be used when decay has not spread too far. Basically, it mimics what you may know as sandblasting, but on a much smaller scale. Instead of sand particles, it uses aluminum oxide to abrade away the decay without creating collateral damage to the surrounding tooth structure. This not only removes the need for drills, but most of the time, anesthesia can be averted. Sound nice? It is!