Laser Dentistry
Laser Dentistry – Advanced Dental Technology
If you’re of a certain age, you may have dental horror stories that you could share. Perhaps you’ve heard your parents or grandparents reminisce, not so fondly, about sitting in an uncomfortable dental chair. Additionally, having needles driven into their gums, waiting for things to numb up, and then needing more shots when it didn’t entirely take. Finally, they would leave with a missing tooth, or an ugly mercury filling, after spitting blood into a basin. Laser dentistry has come a long way.
Procedures are more accurate and esthetic, fillings are mercury-free, and spitting blood is a thing of the past. With modern dental technology, a visit to the dental office doesn’t have to be unpleasant. Our dentist, Dr. Eric Spellman has been practicing as a dentist in Larchmont for over 30 years, and he offers the very best techniques to improve your oral health. Call (914) 315-4446 today, or use the link on our Contact Us page to book a consultation at Eric Spellman, DMD.
WaterLase iPLUS™ Laser
Most patients find that the worst thing that they have to deal with when they visit a dental office is the drilling. It’s never fun. Even with the local anesthetic, you’re going to feel pressure in your mouth. Additionally, the sound of the drill isn’t very reassuring, either. The dental drill generates heat, so if the anesthetic doesn’t entirely take, you might experience some discomfort. At best, the anesthetic is going to cause numbness in various areas of your mouth.
With WaterLase iPLUS, you do not need anesthetic. The laser technology removes the decayed material from your teeth better than conventional drilling. Also, Dr. Spellman can use laser technology for regular fillings and periodontal treatment. Laser dentistry technology is very suitable for most patients and can treat many dental issues.
At Eric Spellman, DMD, our dental team uses the Waterlase IPLUS laser for periodontal therapy. In the past, many patients were referred to periodontists to have gum surgery when their gums start to fail. Now, our advanced trained dentist, Dr. Spellman uses the dental laser to regenerate bone and reduce pocketing non-surgically without the need for painful surgery.
Intra-oral Camera
Intra-oral camera technology is just one tool that our dentist, Dr. Spellman uses to deliver the best possible diagnosis and laser dentistry treatment options to patients in Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, and the surrounding area. An intra-oral camera is used to take pictures of the inside of a patient’s mouth. It magnifies the teeth up to 25 times their actual size, and then the image is projected onto a screen. You can see plaque deposits, damaged fillings, decay, and worn teeth in remarkable detail. This enables Dr. Spellman to identify the specific areas of your mouth that require treatment, either immediately or at a later date, and it can also provide proof to your insurance company as to what treatments are necessary.
Digital X-Rays
In years gone by, taking dental x-rays was a time-consuming and difficult procedure. It involved taking the x-rays, developing the films, and sometimes getting it wrong and having to start all over again. Many dentists even conducted treatments without the benefit of x-rays.
With digital x-rays, there is no processing time, and the chances of needing to repeat the procedure are minimal. Digital x-rays are comfortable and safe, and they deliver very low levels of radiation while providing highly accurate imaging. When it comes to having restorative work completed, digital x-rays can save you time and money. You spend a lot less time in the dentist’s chair, and that means that you keep a lot more money in your wallet. Digital x-rays are also a valuable tool when it comes to placing veneers and crowns – much of the time, those procedures can be completed in a single day, so there’s no need for a follow-up appointment.
Rotary Endodontics
Rotary endodontics is a means of using electrically powered tools to perform root canals, as opposed to using manual files. The electric hand tool uses a nickel-titanium tip, which is considerably more flexible than the traditional stainless steel. Because this tip is so flexible, it can probe deeply into the tooth root without stretching or otherwise damaging the canal, making for a faster, more reliable procedure.
Dr. Eric Spellman prefers the rotary method, because it is much more efficient when it comes to cleaning out the root, and because it is faster, the risk of complications is reduced. Additionally, the patient is more comfortable because there is none of the loud noise that accompanies the manual filing. This is a great advantage if you are usually apprehensive about dental procedures. The newest technology (Wave One Endo) has rotary files that can navigate extremely curved canals easily that used to take hours by hand. This new technology also kills 99.7% of the bacteria in the tooth than 58% destroyed by older technology.
Electric Hand Pieces
What do you hate most about a visit to the dentist? Chances are it is not the needles being driven into your mouth, the numbness afterward, or the feeling of helplessness as you sit in the chair. More likely, it is the sound of the drill. In fact, many dental patients report that they have a strong fear reaction when the drill is started up.
Dr. Eric Spellman uses electric handpieces. They are far less noisy than traditional drills, and they rotate very smoothly, which allows for greater precision. This means that the removal of the decayed areas of your teeth can be more precise, thereby delivering more satisfactory treatment results. Without that uncomfortable whine, you will be far more comfortable during your dental appointment, and the final results of your treatment will be more effective and attractive. It’s just another way that Dr. Spellman delivers a more satisfying dental experience to his patients in Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and the surrounding area.
CEREC® Technology
CEREC® is the very latest technology when it comes to creating inlays, onlays, porcelain crowns, and other cosmetic and reconstructive dental procedures. Not that long ago, creating a dental restoration usually took about a week – sometimes longer, as patients had to visit the dentist for a number of fittings, and then wait for a lab to build their restoration. With CEREC®, Dr. Spellman uses state-of-the-art computer software to take 3-D images of your mouth. Then, he uses those images in conjunction with an on-site milling unit to create your restorations. So, from a procedure that once used to take at least a week and several visits, we move to about an hour and a half per restoration. That means that you spend considerably less time in the dental chair, and your restorative treatment is a better fit than lab-based crowns due to computer technology.
Contact our office in Larchmont, NY today at 914-315-4446 to discuss our laser dentistry treatment options. We also treat patients with laser dentistry in Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, Rye, NY and many surrounding areas.