New Technology For Old Problems

By K.C. Granger, DDS

Enterprise Dental Care

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New Technology For Old Problems

Healthcare, like all other industries, is full of new high-tech solutions to old problems. One old problem, jaw pain, can be addressed with appliance therapy and changes a patient's bite. A usual suspect for these jaw and head pains is Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMD. It is experienced by popping, dislocation, clicking, and locking of the jaw. Those experiences lead to associated pain around the jaw, ears, eyes, and neck. The diagnostic tools have come a long way. Now we use specialized scanning devices to evaluate a patient's bite (occlusion) and the position of the jaw.

The digital analysis gives far more detailed information than the old trial and error methods used relieve patient's TMD. The use of scanners for these problems lead dentists to the cause so they can provide working solution for patients experiencing chronic pain and difficulty eating.

Another technological advance is a dental laser. For decades, scalpel blades have been used to initiate surgical procedures. Although effective it introduces bleeding that has to be addressed and may extend a patient's healing time. Laser therapy and its use as an adjunctive tool for surgery provides clean incisions with minimal to no bleeding.

These wonderful advances also give us precise separation of tissue and shorter recovery periods. Sometimes procedures requiring two or three visits can be decreased to less. That saves you time and minimizes discomfort. Periodontal or gum disease can be treated with the minimally invasive protocol and amazing results. Laser periodontal therapy is a technological advance that gives patients healthier gums without the stitches and bleeding.