Technology

OUR TECHNOLOGY

How Our State-Of-The-Art Dental Technology Benefits You

At Exton Family Dentist, we invest in state-of-the-art technologies as part of our commitment to providing you with ongoing superior service. Cutting-edge equipment enhances our team’s ability to detect oral health issues early on, to provide personalized treatments, and to execute our treatment plans with unmatched accuracy and excellence.

One aspect of dentistry that prevents people from receiving the care they need is their fear of pain. Patients associate dental procedures with pain, so they delay or avoid both routine dental checkups and necessary interventions. Unfortunately, dental problems don’t usually resolve themselves. Our investment in technology allows us to enhance your patient-centered dental experience from the first moment you step into our office until the moment you leave. Using advanced data-management systems, we fast-track the check-in and checkout process, allowing you more time to relax before your appointment. Then, whether you need routine x-rays or a complete restoration, we use top-of-the-line equipment to enhance comfort, ensure safety, and speed up the treatment process.

Exton Family Dentist uses the latest dental technologies to:

• Provide the Highest Quality Dental Care
• Save Time
• Save Money
• Eliminate Discomfort

Our Technologies Include:

• Digital Dental X-rays
• Panoramic X-rays
• Ultrasonic Scalers
• Intra-Oral Cameras
• State-of-the-art Sterilization Center

Digital X-rays

One important aspect of optimal oral health is making sure that any concerns can be addressed as soon as possible. We can only see so much with the naked eye, which is why the team at Exton Family Dentist utilizes state-of-the-art digital x-rays to get an in-depth look at your entire mouth. This process exposes patients to far less radiation than traditional x-rays and allows us to locate any decay that’s between the teeth, identify bone loss, infections, and more.

In addition to reducing the amount of radiation exposure by 80% over traditional x-rays, it provides a better assessment of each tooth and they dramatically cut down on the time you spend in our office. Exposure time is shorter and there are no chemicals used to develop the images, allowing you to get back to the rest of your day much sooner. With a digital x-ray, the image captured is available to view right away on our monitor and allows us to develop a treatment plan with you that meets your specific needs. In most cases, we will use digital x-rays in three different parts of your mouth to provide us with the most amount of visual data possible. Periapical x-rays offer a closer look at the root of each tooth to assess if any gum disease or infections are present, and bitewing images let us locate decay between the teeth and let us determine a proactive treatment plan moving forward. This allows us to better evaluate the condition of your teeth and spot potential problems earlier and more reliably.

Early detection of problems can save you money, because it allows us to use more conservative, less expensive treatments. Early treatment can eliminate the need for more extensive treatments or surgeries. We’re firm believers that technology should be used to everyone’s advantage, and the use of digital x-rays allows everyone to have a better grasp on your dental health needs.

Panoramic X-rays

Our cutting edge panoramic x-ray unit allows the doctor to diagnose early oral cancer of the jaw, track the development of permanent teeth in children, track wisdom tooth development and issues, and recognize TMJ disorders. Panoramic x-rays allow our doctors to evaluate the health and integrity of your jaw and determine if there are any abnormalities with your sinus cavities and wisdom teeth.

Ultrasonic Scalers

When it comes to having your teeth cleaned, the Ultrasonic Scaler can’t be matched in power or speed. An ultrasonic scaler is designed to remove plaque safely and hardened tartar or calculus from your teeth and below the gum line, a procedure also known as root debridement. This tool uses a rapidly vibrating tip to chip away at the hardened bacteria filled material while also blasting high pressured oxygenated bubbles at your teeth. Think of a pressure washer that has been scaled down in size and specifically designed to be safe for your teeth. As the ultrasonic scaler passes over your teeth and gums, it will remove hardened plaque buildup, and teeth often visibly appear cleaner and whiter following the procedure. This will help you have a healthier smile and protect your teeth from the all too common problem of gum disease.

An ultrasonic scaler can help you keep your teeth healthier, longer. Most of our adult patients benefit from the use of an ultrasonic scaler during their regular dental cleaning. This advanced dental tool will help us remove decay-causing bacteria, reducing the likelihood of infection and keeping your gums healthy and strong. At Exton Family Dentist, our team works to both eliminate and prevent dental disease.

Intra-Oral Cameras

This is a highly advanced piece of diagnostic equipment that allows you and our team to clearly see inside your mouth. The handheld intra-oral cameras create high quality, high resolution images of your teeth and structures in your mouth, can zoom in on a specific tooth, and all of the images are displayed on a television screen so that you can be an active part of your treatment.

Intra-oral cameras make excellent diagnostic and assessment tools. The images allow us to evaluate the condition of your teeth and gums. It also provides an opportunity for us to show you, the patient, what we see. This allows us to have meaningful conversations about the condition of your teeth, and work with you to make the best possible short-term and long-term treatment decisions.

Sterilization Center

At Exton Family Dentist, we take the health and safety of our clients very seriously. We understand that many of our patients may be wondering about the techniques employed to ensure sterilization in a dental office. Our instruments are sterilized using state-of-the-art heat-pressured autoclaves.

There are many procedures we follow to disinfect surfaces and instruments, as well as strict maintenance policies we employ to ensure our sterilization testing methods are sound. We base these sterilization and maintenance processes on guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA).

We have a strict routine in place when it comes to cleaning our dental tools and surfaces. Our processes have been recommended by the CDC and are as follows:

• Critical instruments, such as scalpel blades, scalers, and forceps, penetrate soft tissue and/or bone and must be discarded or sterilized after every use.
• Semi-critical instruments, including dental impression trays and air-water hoses come into contact with bodily fluids and are cleaned and disinfected with a high-level sanitizer between uses.
• Uncovered clinical contact surfaces are classified as non-critical and must be barrier protected or disinfected between patients. Examples of such surfaces include tabletops, chairs, and counters.
• Barrier protectors that cover clinical contact surfaces during patient treatment must be changed out when soiled or as often as deemed appropriate.
• Our dental professionals wash and disinfect their hands between patients and as often as needed. Personal protective equipment, or PPE, like masks and smocks, are always used and regularly discarded.

These straightforward procedures help us ensure that every tool, all equipment, and each surface that is utilized while we provide patient care is sterilized after the care is given. We use dental autoclave sterilizers for our tools and equipment, and hospital-grade, EPA-registered disinfectants to sterilize contact surfaces. Personal protective equipment used as barrier coverings is discarded after each use.

At Exton Family Dentist, we regularly upgrade our equipment because we know that advanced equipment ensures more accurate assessments, which means a better solution for your dental needs. Call 610-280-7222 today to schedule an appointment with us and learn how we use our advanced dental equipment to fit your needs.