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“Bhandari Dental has invested in the best dental equipment to keep all of our patients’ smiles shining,” says Dr. Vineet Bhandari of Bhandari Dental, Oakville, Ont. “One of the most remarkable pieces of equipment is the iTero Digital Laser Scanner, which provides 3D intraoral scanning technology.”

The technology is used in the dental office to make impressions of the mouth needed to make restorations like crowns, inlays, or dental implants. There’s no exposure to any sort of radiation, says Bhandari, and the best part is it’s fast and accurate.

“Dental restorations are designed to save teeth … and to provide teeth that look and feel natural and do their job. Restorations also help keep other teeth in the mouth spaced correctly for eating.”

How does the scanning technology work?

The laser scanner is a compact, hand-held wand. The head of the wand fits easily into the mouth and within just a few minutes takes three-dimentional digital images of the structure of the teeth and gums.

“It scans with over 100,000 points of reference,” explains Bhandari.

“The iTero scanner is all about patient comfort and providing a digital impression that is much more accurate than a routine dental impression.”

For patients, the scanner also replaces the need — and discomfort — of having dental impressions made using plaster. There’s no sitting and waiting for messy liquid plaster in the mouth to solidify.

Once the scanning process begins, it can be stopped and started as many times as necessary. The dentist can even show the patient what their teeth will look like after the restoration.

Bhandari will often utilize the iTero Digital Laser Scanner in the following dental procedures:

Crowns: Dental crowns are caps placed on top of damaged teeth. They are used to restore and strengthen damaged, misshapen, or discoloured teeth, or teeth that are compromised by too many fillings or have undergone root canal therapy. Crowns can also cover stains and enhance the appearance of a patient’s smile.

Dental implant: A dental implant is an artificial root or screwlike post made of metal that is surgically implanted into the jawbone. An artificial replacement tooth is created and attached to the implant. The implant, in effect, acts as an anchor to hold the new replacement tooth in place.

“Dental implants are both functional and cosmetic. They can make you look more youthful by replacing missing teeth, restoring your natural face shape, and repairing your bite,” says Bhandari. The titanium in the implant fuses with the jawbone so the implant is secure and won't slip, make noise, or cause any bone damage the way fixed bridgework or dentures might. Also, the materials can't decay.

Inlays: “A dental inlay is a pre-molded filling that is fitted into the grooves of your tooth. It is used when a cavity is too large for a simple filling.” An inlay is created as a single solid piece that is cemented on the tooth to fill the cavity. To make a dental inlay, the dentist takes an impression of the tooth’s top crevice area and then a porcelain or composite resin material is used to make the dental inlay. It is matched to the colour of teeth.

“By empowering our staff with this kind of state-of-the-art technology and tools, we are providing patients with the most comfortable and effective dental experience we can,” Bhandari says.

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