Modern dental technology is advancing at a rapid pace and transforming the way we do dentistry. Recent advancements have streamlined treatments allowing us to deliver quicker, better results.
At Viva Dental Victoria, we stay on top of the latest advances in dental technology. However, for your safety and comfort, we carefully research new techniques and products to ensure that there is
substantial evidence of their benefits before implementing them!
Digital 3D Scanner
Digital 3D scanning technology has changed the way many things work, including dentistry. The intraoral scanner features a small wand the size of an electric toothbrush, which your dentist moves around your mouth to create a 3D computer-generated model of your teeth and gums in minutes. The method is comfortable, incredibly accurate, and amazing to watch as it offers a simulated view of your teeth which can be rotated to see all angles.
The 3D scan can be used for treatment planning for cosmetic and restorative procedures, clear aligner braces like Invisalign, patient education and much more. It can also be used to make digital impressions your teeth when making crowns or veneers. These “impressions” can often be used in place of traditional alginate or silicone impressions using trays.
CariVu Radiation-free Cavity Detection
DEXIS CariVu™ is a portable device that uses safe near-infrared light and “transillumination technology“ to produce images of your teeth and that help us detect cavities in your teeth. It does not produce radiation!
Using a comfortable, small scanner, the CariVu hugs the tooth and bathes it light producing a real-time video image on the computer screen. This allows us to see through the tooth, exposing its structure and the development of any cracks or cavities. In the images, healthy tooth appears transparent while areas of decay appear dark. Although CariVu can’t be used in all situations, for example if you have many large fillings or crowns, but it is a very useful tool for:
- Early detection of cavities in unrestored teeth
- Diagnosis of cracks and decay not visible on X-rays
- Children's dentistry where taking X-rays may be difficult
The images can be captured and stored in your patient record along with your X-rays and photos.
VELscope® Oral Cancer Detection
Oral cancer can affect many areas of the mouth including the lips, gums, cheeks, tonsils, tongue, salivary glands, back of throat, roof and floor of mouth. When discovered early, the 5-year survival rate for oral cancer patients is about 83 percent. Unfortunately, most cases of oral cancer are discovered in late stages and the five-year survival rate drops to around 50 percent.
At Viva Dental Victoria, we believe that regular oral cancer screening exams are of utmost importance. Along with a conventional oral screening exam, where we carefully inspect your mouth for signs of oral cancer or other pathologies, we use a device called the VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening System. The VELscope allows us to perform a quick, non-invasive, pain-free examination for early detection of a wide variety of oral diseases, including pre-cancer and cancer.
The procedure involves viewing your mouth through a handheld scope that emits a harmless, bright blue light. The blue light, when viewed through a special filter, causes the soft tissues of the mouth to naturally fluoresce (shine) in a green colour. In areas where abnormal oral tissues are present (such as dysplasia or oral cancer), the oral mucosa does not fluoresce causing a dark spot.
VELscope doesn’t diagnose which type of disease is present within the oral cavity, but it can help us visualize tissue abnormalities that are not apparent with the naked eye alone.
Soft Tissue Laser
Dental lasers deliver energy in the form of light. Depending on the intended result, this energy travels at different wavelengths and is absorbed by a “target.” In dentistry, these targets can be enamel, decay or gum tissue. Each one absorbs a different wavelength of light while reflecting others.
Dental diode lasers, sometimes called soft-tissue lasers, are ideal for procedures that involve cutting or contouring oral soft tissues. As a clinical tool, diode lasers offer a wide range of clinical treatment possibilities as they are capable of creating precision cuts in gingiva and other soft tissues. Use of the laser generally eliminates bleeding and reduces the healing time of the procedure.
Soft tissue lasers can be used for gum recontouring or removal, control of bleeding around fillings and crown preparations, canker sore treatment, sterilizing root canals, and treating periodontal disease. For patients who do not look forward to needles, some laser procedures can be done without anesthetic.
Advanced Sterilization and Infection Control
At Viva Dental Victoria, we take your safety very seriously. Although the risk of infection as a result of a dental procedure is very low, it represents an important patient safety consideration. Our practice employs protocols that meet or exceed the Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines set out by the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. We are also continually evaluating and updating our infection prevention strategies and protocols.
Your safety and comfort is our top priority!
Prior to your dental visit, all surfaces in the dental operatory are wiped with a high-level disinfectant to clean droplets produced by aerosols during dental procedures. The disinfectant kills Covid 19 and all other viruses, as well as bacteria, bacterial spores, mycobacteria, and fungi. High-touch areas in the operatories and on dental equipment are covered in single-use plastic film.
All of our staff observe meticulous hand hygiene throughout the day. As well, all clinical staff wear protective eyewear, masks, and gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment, such as N95 masks and gowns, when necessary.
Through the glass wall of our sterilization area, you will see that all dental instruments are scrubbed, washed in a Hydrim G4 instrument washer, packaged in metal cassettes, wrapped in autoclave paper and sterilized in a state-of-the-art Statclav steam sterilizer. The effectiveness of the sterilizer is monitored with every load of instruments via sterilizer temperature records and temperature sensitive tape. In addition, effectiveness is tested daily using a biological spore test (spores being the most resistant to being killed) and a sterilization log is kept of all this data.
Our sterilization process does not use chemicals and metal cassettes are plastic-free which is better for the environment.
Our dental units have a self-contained water reservoir system that uses sterile water. The water reservoir and dental unit water waterlines contain a disinfectant that prevents microbial biofilms from building up inside the lines. As well, dental unit water lines are flushed between patients and sterilized daily. Dental drills are sterilized between patients.
Digital X-rays
Digital radiography is a form of X-ray imaging where a digital sensor is used instead of traditional film. The advantages of digital radiography are many-fold and benefit not only our office, but our patients and the environment as well. Most importantly, digital radiography requires much less radiation to produce an image than film radiography.
Digital X-rays require 70% less radiation of traditional film X-rays
Intraoral digital X-rays create images of the teeth, bones and gums that help us with early diagnosis of cavities, especially between the teeth, and dental abscesses. Panoramic X-rays, on the other hand, show us your entire mouth on one image and help us diagnose other conditions like impacted wisdom teeth, TMJ issues and other types of pathology. The ability to enlarge the digital images is highly advantageous as it enables us to see things not visible on traditional X-rays.
The benefits of digital X-rays include:
- 70% less radiation!
- High resolution images that can be enhanced and enlarged
- Images can be displayed for you to see on a monitor
- Images appear immediately and can be saved electronically
- Efficient communication between dentists and your dental insurance
- Less harmful chemicals and lead in the environment as in traditional X-rays
> Learn More
PrepStart™ Air Abrasion system
The PrepStart™ air abrasion system can be thought of as a dental mini- sandblaster that sprays a fine stream of abrasive aluminum oxide particles. In cases where the tooth decay is minor, it can be used to remove the decay in a gentle but efficient manner with minimal loss of good tooth structure and often without using a drill or anesthetic. It is quiet and doesn't produce the usual vibration, noise, and heat of the dental drill. Excess abrasive particles are removed by our suction system. PrepStart™ can be also used to:
- remove stains on teeth
- prepare dental sealants
- aid in repairing chipped or worn teeth
- roughen teeth or crowns to achieve a higher bond strength
- clean dental cement from teeth.
Intraoral Digital Photography
Intraoral cameras have become indispensable in dentistry. An intraoral camera is a small, high resolution video camera that fits into your mouth. It provides a level of access and visibility that is often not available with the naked eye letting us see even the hardest to reach places.
We may also use a high-resolution digital SLR camera to obtain crisp, detailed images of your dentition. All images can be captured and stored in your patient record and displayed for you to see.
Digital photography is indispensable for:
- Developing a complete picture of our patients oral health
- Educating our patients about their oral health
- Documenting dental procedures
- Diagnosis of cracks, decay and pathology
- Communication with dental specialists, laboratories and insurance plans
A picture is worth a thousand words...
digital photos allow us to educate you about your oral health!
Magnification
Dentistry is essentially micro-surgery. Our custom high-power magnified loupes with attached LED lights enable us to create dental restorations with a incredibly precise fit and to see other small details that may go missed without magnification. It is not possible to provide this level of care with the naked eye. We use magnification for almost all of your care including fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, oral surgery and sometimes even your cleanings.
Digital patient records
Until quite recently, keeping paper charts for each patient was the standard for dental offices. Now the trend is to move to digital record keeping. The digital record is definitely preferable as there is little to no chance of your record being misplaced or damaged and your information is more secure. Your digital record includes information about your dental insurance, health history, X-rays and photos. If necessary, information can be digitally transferred to dental labs or other dental practitioners. Last but not least, it allows for faster, more efficient communication with your dental care team and dental plan provider.