Dental High Tech

I hate to bring up bad things, but if you even had a crown installed, or think one day soon you’ll need one, there is some nice news.

I went to a dental clinic here to get my crown re-glued. No biggie, really. But afterwards, the dentist, knowing I was in computers, showed me some of their gear.

First thing he demonstrated was a 3-D CAD/CAM program that let him take pictures of the tooth & surrounding teeth, then design the crown right there. Then, get this, the design would be sent to a machine which milled a special type of porcelain blank into the exact shape. Time required? 11 minutes.

Think of it. No more taking impressions with that gag-inducing stuff. No more sending them off & waiting a week or two for the crown to get back. No more temporaries while you wait. In most cases, it can all be done in one sitting!

I was really pleased he took the time to give me the grand tour, and just amazed at what is available today, at least in a few places.

Things are getting better, folks.

Do you still have to show up?

Yeah, they’re still working on the virtual part of it, unfortunately. :slight_smile:

Yeah, it is kind of amazing. I’ve been getting some stuff done on my teeth that involves my regular dentist and :eek: the periodontist! It amazes me that they can communicate with each other almost instantaneously. You’re right Liveonaplane, no more waiting weeks and weeks. It still hurts though!

That’s super good news - my biggest problem with getting my crown was that the temporary one hurt like a sonofabitch for a week. I’m talking crying, rocking in my bed whimpering instead of sleeping hurting.

When you think about it, dentistry is still awfully barbaric for our high-tech society. I want dentistry like in Star Trek - wave a flashy thing over my mouth and say, “All fixed.”

I’m glad to hear that it will be possible to get this over with in one sitting, instead of the weeks it takes right now. This has been the Year of the Dentist for me - beginning in 2005, I’ve had 4 teeth extracted, a root canal, two crowns, 5 fillings, and treatments for gum disease (the last is in two weeks). I’ve maxxed out my dental insurance for the year in a scant 5 months. I’m praying nothing else happens to my teeth, or I’ll have to sell body parts to afford the bills. The price I pay for avoiding the dentist for 10 years.

On the other hand, I’ve discovered the joys of vicodin. :smiley: