At the Washington Center for Dentistry, we provide our talented team of doctors with the latest advances in dental technology for more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. We employ laser decay detectors, 3D and computerized x-rays, laser treatments, and more. If you’re in the Washington, DC area, call us today to schedule an appointment. Let us show you how easy and effective the next generation of dental care can be.
Digital Smile Design
Digital Smile Design (DSD) is a state-of-the-art, exclusive dental imaging technology that helps patients truly envision their smile makeover before beginning their treatments. Before DSD’s inception, a patient and their dental provider could tentatively plan future dental treatments, working to achieve the best potential outcome possible. But with DSD, patients can take their smile for a test drive with this digital treatment planning software that takes facial structure into account and helps the patient and provider plan a customized smile makeover that is tailored to the physical and aesthetic goals of the patient. As the first practice in Washington, DC to offer this service, Washington Center for Dentistry is committed to providing patients with the smile of their dreams.
What Makes Digital Smile Design So Unique?
Unlike other digital imaging machines and software, Digital Smile Design has a multistep approach that allows providers to truly grasp the treatments needed to transform a patient’s smile. In addition, it allows the provider to give the patient a 3D virtual simulation of their smile before and results after their treatment(s). Finally, DSD provides a clear directive between the patient, the provider, the dental lab, and the team that will be involved in the patient’s treatment. This helps ensure a clear line of communication and that all parties are working together to achieve one goal.
Plan Your Smile Test Drive
Imagine a world where you can physically see your smile transformed before undergoing a single procedure. With Digital Smile Design at Washington Center for Dentistry, we customize your smile makeover and cosmetic dentistry procedures to ensure you achieve your goal smile. Schedule a consultation today to discuss the benefits of DSD.
How Is A Digital Smile Design Created?
Using advanced digital imaging technology, detailed images and videos of the inside and outside of a patient’s mouth and face will be taken. These images will then be uploaded into the Digital Smile Design software where both the patient and dental team can assess potential outcomes and create a personalized treatment plan. There are five important standards involved in a Digital Smile Design protocol:
- Digitization – This phase represents taking your images and videos and digitally transforming them into a 3D model for a comprehensive overview of the “starting point” of your smile makeover.
- 3D Facial Design – During this phase, we will work together to determine what the final outcome of your smile makeover will be.
- Digital Treatment Planning – During phase three, we will create a step-by-step treatment plan using digital models we create together.
- Smile Test Drive – The smile test drive is an emotional phase of treatment where, using the innovative DSD technology, a patient can see images of themselves with their new smile.
- Guided Treatment – This is where the magic happens as a member of our highly experienced dental team uses your personalized digital treatment plan to begin recreating and making over your smile.
Air-Flow Polisher
The Air-Flow Polisher is a compact but comprehensive dental cleaning technology that combines the use of compressed air, fine powder particles, and water to polish your teeth quickly and without direct contact. In heavy contrast to the manual scraping techniques of yesterday, the Air-Flow Polisher uses a very strong current of water to remove bacteria and plaque without heat, noise, or discomfort. As the first and only practice in the area to use this technology, Washington Center for Dentistry remains a step above the rest as it pertains to remaining at the forefront of modern advances in the industry.
Laser Decay Detector
Make way for “Minimally Invasive Dentistry.” The Laser Decay Detector, or DIAGNOdent Cavity and Decay Finder, is a revolutionary new way to find even the smallest areas of tooth decay. The mouthful of words means simply that dentists no longer allow dots of decay to advance into large craters. Armed with the ultimate in high-tech sleuthing, they now set out to find decay at the earliest possible moment. By using this new technology, the highly skilled dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry are able to target and treat all of a patient’s small problem areas before they turn into larger issues that require more complicated and more expensive procedures.
iTero Digital Impressions
At Washington Center for Dentistry, skilled dentists use iTero Digital Impressions to digitally record teeth after they are prepared for new restorations. For example, the impressions are useful for a tooth that is prepared for a new crown or bridge. iTero also records nearby teeth, as well as opposing teeth, and how the teeth bite together, or their occlusion. The data is transmitted electronically to Washington Center’s in-house dental lab to use as the lab techs make crowns, veneers, bridges, inlays, and onlays. As a result, the restorations fit more seamlessly and naturally for beautiful, more long-standing results.
3D X-Ray
Utilizing the latest, most advanced technology, the highly skilled dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry use 3D x-rays to get a better look at a patient’s mouth. With this state-of-the-art technology, dentists are able to get unobstructed, better-detailed imaging of a patient’s teeth, mouth, face, and neck. The images are then used to customize a better, more effective treatment plan to treat and repair any number of dental issues. Since dentists can see more of what is going on in the patient’s mouth, they can catch conditions earlier and even prevent other issues from arising.
Computerized X-Rays
With computerized x-rays, special sensors, instead of film, use 90% less radiation than traditional x-rays for safer results. The image pops up instantly on a large TV screen, where the talented dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry and the patient can see more detailed images than ever before! This leads to better diagnoses and more accurate and precise treatment plans in the long run. The reduced exposure to radiation makes it safer for more high-risk groups like pregnant women, younger children, and older patients.
Diode Laser
The Diode Laser is part of a newer generation of dental lasers that has revolutionized the field of dentistry. More advanced, safer, and gentler than the traditional dental drill, the diode laser is designed to handle a variety of procedures, including those that involve soft tissue. For example, the highly trained dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry will use this laser for gum reshaping. During this procedure, the laser is used to re-contour the gum line with no downtime, bleeding, or stitches involved. Best of all, the diode laser makes the procedure virtually pain-free. With the use of the diode laser, patients should have reduced anxiety about visiting the dentist.
Waterlase® Laser
Two of the most dreaded things at the dentist’s office for most patients are the drill and the needle. Thanks to modern technology, both can basically be avoided with the WaterLase Laser, which uses laser energy and air to power water for various procedures. The dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry use WaterLase to precisely target the teeth and gums for virtually no pain to the patient. Since the laser doesn’t generate pressure, heat, or vibration, there’s less need for shots and the drill. As a result, there’s less trauma, bleeding, and swelling which can result in fewer dental visits since more work can get accomplished in one visit.
Intra-Oral TV
The skilled dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry use the highly effective Intra-Oral TV. This advanced technology takes a tiny, pen-sized camera and puts it right inside of a patient’s mouth, shedding light on damaged fillings and crowns, gum disease, and any budding problems that may cause future issues. The video image fills a full-color screen so both the dentist and the patient can see what’s happening in real time. From there, the dentist can effectively customize an appropriate treatment plan to treat current issues and prevent future ones from arising.
iTero Element 5D
Our iTero Element 5D, the only dental scanner that takes 6,000 images per second, uses Infrared Imaging, a real-time decay finder, and time-lapse 3D Imaging.
With this pain-free health and wellness scan—we conduct a “Digital Tour” of the inside of your teeth! Imagine viewing budding tooth decay with your dentist—right on the screen. (Remember when the pointy instrument was the state-of-the-art decay finder?
Add to that a TimeLapse function that compares images of your teeth—over time. We “overlay” a previous scan onto your current scan, and see the smallest changes in your bite, track receding gums, and detect even slight tooth movements. In addition, the detailed images pinpoint problems so precisely that we can resolve problems while removing less tooth structure. Talk about 21st-century dental tracking!