ProviderThe Role of Technology in Orthodontics
At our Grand Rapids orthodontic clinic, dental technology plays a role in just about everything we do.
We use technology to gather in-depth information about the nature of your orthodontic issue in detail. It allows us to make an accurate and specific diagnosis, which in turn means highly customized treatment planning to meet your specific needs and goals in the safest and most efficient way possible.
Our technology also guides us in developing each personalized treatment plan and any adjustments required along the way.
During each step of your orthodontic journey, you'll encounter our technology as we use it to communicate with you about your condition, the treatment plan, and your smile's progress.
Read on to learn more about the types of technology we use most often.
Digital X-rays
Digital X-ray technology uses sensors and a computer to produce detailed images of your teeth and gums.
Digital X-rays allow us to see exactly where your teeth are positioned under the gums, as well as the surrounding bones, and to provide a diagnosis of your orthodontic condition. They also help us identify other factors that may impact your orthodontic treatment, like developing tooth decay and previous dental restorations. All of this information is essential to diagnosis and treatment planning.
Panoramic X-rays
A panoramic X-ray is a two-dimensional dental X-ray that provides a single image of the entire mouth. This image includes the teeth, the upper and lower jaws, and the surrounding structures and tissues.
Panoramic X-rays are crucial for assessing the presence or absence of specific teeth and their roots, their form and structure, as well as their eruption sequence, and their relationship to one another in the jaws. This provides key insights for treatment planning and assessment.
iTero® Intraoral Scanner
The iTero intraoral scanner is a handheld imaging device. It creates highly detailed, three-dimensional digital impressions of the hard and soft tissues of the mouth, without the need for goopy impression materials! The process is unintrusive; you simply open wide, and your orthodontist moves the device around your mouth, capturing thousands of images in just seconds! It only takes a few minutes to complete.
The system then renders 3-D models of your mouth, which are displayed in real-time on a touch screen.