Technology
Same-Day Crowns
Cerec Same-Day Crowns is the latest in dental crown technology and offers many benefits over the old-style crowns. It makes it possible for patients to leave our office with beautiful custom-made crowns that match better and fit better in a few hours rather than waiting with a temporary in place and returning weeks later for a second appointment for final crown seating. A picture is taken of the damaged tooth and CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology is used to create the restoration. The crown is then made with CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology. Although some dentists complain about the false-looking appearance of this technology, we take the extra time to have our resident artist (yes, she does beautiful paintings in her spare time!) characterize and customize your tooth to absolutely blend in with your natural teeth. Combining Cerec technology’s strong color-matching capabilities and the talent of our in house lab technician, we provide beautiful and natural looking crowns that give us all a reason to smile.
Lasers
Lasers have grown steadily in dental use over the last 20 years. Lasers are used to treat many things, including tooth decay, curing of fillings, reshaping gums and removing bacteria in root canals, and teeth whitening. Benefits of laser use include minimized pain, reduced need for anesthesia, and minimized bleeding and swelling for soft-tissue treatments. Laser technology can also help patients who suffer from dental anxiety, including a fear of drills.
Digital X-Rays
Digital X-Ray technology assists Dr. Halls in giving you the best quality dental care available. Digital technology is known for being efficient and accurate, with great reliability as well. It also works to provide high quality images, providing Dr. Halls with extremely accurate x-rays to assist in your dental care, and all of it comes at the lowest possible dose of radiation.
Panoramic X-Rays
A panoramic x-ray is a two-dimensional (2-D) x-ray examination that captures the entire mouth in a single image, including the teeth, upper and lower jaws, and surrounding structures. Unlike a traditional x-ray where film is placed inside the mouth, the film for panoramic x-rays is contained within the machine. Panoramic x-rays also provide a wider image and thus more information for your dentist. That is why we recommend that nearly every patient get one. Panoramic x-rays are also ideal for young children or patients with a sensitive gag-reflex, as the film is not placed inside the mouth. Panoramic x-rays are very low in radiation, and take a very short time to make.
Intra-oral Camera
Intra-oral camera technology allows greater understanding and interaction between patient and dentist for the best exam possible. The intra-oral camera magnifies teeth to 40x their size and displays the images on a computer screen. This technology makes it easier to detect potential problems that cannot easily be seen with the naked eye. The camera also helps Dr. Halls explain and illustrate the state of his patient’s teeth, pointing out anything of note in a way that is quick and easy to understand. Both the patient and the dentist are seeing the same image, making communication clear and simple between them. Intra-oral cameras also assist in insurance claims and file-keeping of patient records, as images of problem areas can be saved and referenced at later appointments when needed.
Lighthouse 360
Lighthouse 360 is an automated patient communications system, allowing for many useful communications features like single-text messaging for families, Facebook connections, and patient contact preferences. All of these features and more combine to make it easier for you to schedule and get reminders of appointments and for Dr. Halls and his team to contact you and prepare for your next appointment. Using Lighthouse 360 helps Dr. Halls to be as efficient in communications as possible, allowing more time for you and your dental care. Instead of having to return a call to confirm your appointment, simply reply to our text message