SCANNER TECHNOLOGY FOR PRECISE TREATMENTS
You may not think about state-of-the-art technology when you hear dental office, but you should! At Barco Family Dentistry, we utilize all the most innovative dentistry techniques and technologies in order to deliver faster, safer, and more comfortable treatments. While you may not notice, the modern technologies we use every day are dramatically improving your treatment in our office at every visit. One of the technologies that sets are office apart from other Blooming dental practices is the iTero Element scanner. This small, handheld tool is streamlining the treatment process for many of our dentistry services, reducing risk for human error, and improving patient comfort. If you want to learn more about how we utilize the iTero Element system to make dental care better for our patients, call Barco Family Dentistry to schedule an appointment in our state-of-the-art Bloomington dental office.
WHAT IS THE ITERO ELEMENT?
The iTero Element is a digital impression system. A small handheld tool is used to scan prepared teeth. Then, the impressions appear on our chairside computer monitors where they can be used as part of our treatment plan in addition to digital x-rays and photos. This all-digital system allows us to flawlessly integrate every step of even the most advanced dental treatment plans to ensure perfect results every time.
HOW IS THE ITERO USED?
We can use iTero as part of treatment planning for a wide range of dental services. Anytime we need an impression in order for our dental lab to craft a custom product, the iTero system can be used. Some of those treatments where our iTero Element comes in handy include:
- Crafting custom dental crowns
- Designing replacement teeth using fixed bridges, partials, and full dentures
- Creating custom oral appliances like sports guards, occlusal splints for TMJ dysfunction therapy, and nightguards for patients who suffer from bruxism
- Invisalign appliances can be crafted quickly and precisely to ensure your smile shifts according to the plan
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR PATIENTS?
If you’ve ever needed an advanced treatment like a dental crown that was crafted by our lab, you likely remember having an impression captured. This process can be messy and uncomfortable. It involves using putty to physically capture an impression of your smile as you bite down. The impression is used by the lab to craft a restoration, oral appliance, or orthodontic system. Unfortunately, these physical impressions are difficult to capture precisely, and they may need to be redone one or more times to ensure accurate results. Then, they have to be physically shipped to the dental lab which can take several days or weeks. Once the impressions reach the lab, they need to be scanned into the their digital system, which is another opportunity for human error. Finally, the digital file is used by the lab to make your restoration. The iTero system allows us to skip all of these steps. Instead, precise digital impressions are captured of your bite by scanning teeth. The digital impression is immediately transferred to the dental lab saving time and reducing human error, so you get the flawless smile you deserve in significantly less time.