Technology
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Technology in the dental field is ever-changing and Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis enjoys learning how to integrate state-of-the-art equipment into their practice. Utilizing the latest advancements in dentistry allows Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis to treat patients with less pain and in fewer visits. This equals less time in the dental chair and a more comfortable experience from start to finish.
Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis and their team spend many hours each year training and taking advanced courses to ensure they deliver the best care, safely. Employing the latest technology means consistent results, so you’ll know what to expect at each visit. You’ll find that modern dental care with Pearl Care Dental leaves you smiling.
At Pearl Care Dental in Ellensburg, WA, you’ll discover dental care at its highest level; technology, advanced training, and compassionate service blended perfectly together.
Most infections can be cured with antibiotics, but mouth bacteria require a different approach. Regular checkups and cleanings help us find new cavities and remove plaque and tartar that harbor millions of harmful bacteria. High-risk patients benefit from a customized approach with our team. We have many methods to strengthen weakened enamel that has not yet developed into decay.
The complex cycle of inflammation and infection extends beyond the gums and mouth. In fact, research continues to uncover the many ways that our oral health affects the overall health of our bodies including heart health. Our oral health can influence medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and even some types of cancer. For example, mouth bacteria enter the bloodstream through inflamed and bleeding gums. Like a river, blood flow carries the bacteria to the small vessels of the heart and brain. Here they can damage the intricate vessel lining leading to blockage of the vessel. Heart attack or stroke can result because of bleeding gums.
A picture explains what words never can, especially when it comes to your teeth. An intra-oral camera can take pictures with such detail, it can show cracks and stress marks in a tooth that can’t be seen with the naked eye
Intra-oral imaging gives you a detailed view of your mouth in pictures and videos.
Putting specific problem areas onto a computer screen lets us see with clarity and detail that’s not possible with a traditional mouth mirror. Hand-held wands quickly capture the details of your teeth and gums. In fact, even small cracks that often lead to broken teeth appear vividly with the click of a button. We can explain the need for treatment more clearly by showing you what we see in great detail.
As an added benefit, dental insurance benefits often pay more quickly with the visual proof of a digital image.
Digital films with rich detail and dramatically reduced radiation exposure offer the ultimate in safety and diagnostic capability.
Digital sensors capture detailed x-ray images with a fraction of the exposure found in traditional film x-rays.
Technological advancements in x-ray technology provide multiple benefits, from safety to improved treatment results.
BENEFITS:
The complex structures of your jaw can be difficult to decipher on an x-ray. But advanced 3D imaging brings the unprecedented ability to see your mouth and jaw with as much detail as a CT scan, but right in our office.
We’re excited to offer the most advanced imaging process in dentistry: ConeBeam CT scanning, or 3D imaging. This technology allows us to create virtually unlimited views of your teeth, face, and neck with just one scan. We’re able to obtain high-quality, detailed information to diagnose and plan your treatment needs. We can evaluate your teeth and facial structures from literally every angle, in 3D, and in color! Routine x-rays, on the other hand, produce a single flat image with limited information.
The ConeBeam CT imaging system is a digital x-ray scanner that rotates once around your head while you stand or sit in a chair. The process is quick, simple, and completely painless. We use these scans to provide the best treatment in dental implants, root canals, diagnosis of dental and facial pain, etc.
Regardless of your needs, 3D imaging makes it possible to plan and customize your care unlike never before. You can have absolute confidence and satisfaction in the treatment you receive, knowing we’ve analyzed every problem with 3D technology.
When the soft tissue lining your mouth needs minor adjustments, lasers provide a gentle solution. Quiet but powerful light energy helps us treat several dental conditions, safely and simply.
Laser technology continues to transform many procedures in healthcare. Once the subject of sci-fi movies, lasers now clearly provide benefits for mainstream treatment in medicine and dentistry. Shorter procedures, less discomfort, and quicker healing are just a few of the benefits of modern lasers.
The soft tissues of the mouth cover about 30 square inches of surface area. Annoying lumps or bumps may need removal with any unusual patches of tissue requiring further microscopic analysis. Traditionally, a surgical procedure involving incisions and sutures would be required to produce a biopsy sample. Today, a pen-shaped wand allows Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis to remove suspicious or bothersome bumps in a couple of minutes. The healing stimulated by laser energy leads to rapid healing and little to no discomfort, without the need for stitches.
Similarly, gums can be quickly reshaped without bleeding, and some gum infections are now treated with rapid results. Even cold sores or mouth ulcers can undergo faster healing when laser energy passes over the surface. Better yet, the days of pain associated with these recurring ulcers can be dramatically decreased. Lasers are also safe for use with children and can help with growth and development issues or help wisdom teeth move into place.
A soft tissue laser offers a valuable benefit to many conditions in the mouth. Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis’ specific training in laser protocols opens many possibilities using one of modern dentistry’s most versatile tools.
Changes in the lining of your mouth tissue call for close evaluation. VELScope® uses luminescence technology to evaluate suspicious areas of your soft tissue allowing for early detection and diagnosis.
At each visit, we evaluate many aspects of your overall health including a visual exam of all areas of your mouth. Most people are surprised at the large amount of surface area that lines the mouth. Did you know over 30 square inches of tissue make up the oral cavity!
While oral cancer can afflict anyone, tobacco users put themselves at a significantly higher risk than non-users. Chewing tobacco contains up to 3000 different chemicals, including the same compounds used in pesticides and embalming fluid. Cellular changes below the surface aren’t always detectable until they’ve advanced to a critical stage. That’s why we rely on the VELscope® to help us examine the tissue of both users and non-users of tobacco.
VELscope® is a wireless, handheld device that produces a natural tissue fluorescence that significantly enhances our visual exam. Recognized by the World Health Organization, this award-winning technology has conducted more than 25 million exams. Easy to use and painless, VELscope® gives us vital information in our quest for early detection of any cancerous or pre-cancerous changes.
If we suspect any unusual changes in your mouth tissue, we may suggest a biopsy and microscopic analysis by a qualified lab.
The iTero Digital Scanner eliminates messy impressions of your teeth, replacing them with simple digital images captured by a handheld wand. The images quickly appear on a computer screen as 3-D models of your teeth. After a detailed review, the virtual models are sent via a secure connection to a lab for completion of your case.
Traditionally, hours of labor in a dental laboratory were required to make a crown or bridge. With the adoption of more technology into dentistry, digital imaging continues to grow in importance.
Most restorations begin with a mold of your mouth that involves messy impression materials. With the iTero Digital Scanner, you can say goodbye to the mess. iTero eliminates this step, replacing it with simple digital images captured with a handheld wand. The images quickly appear on a computer screen as 3D models of your teeth. Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis reviews the detailed images to make sure they meet their strict standards.
We look forward to introducing you to the innovation of modern dentistry. iTero offers one more reason to experience the difference at Pearl Care Dental.
To help patients dealing with bleeding gums and other oral infections, our Oral DNA and OralVital program can help identify exactly what types of bacteria are present in the mouth. We’ll take a swab of your cheek, send it to a lab, and they will create a readout showing the different levels of bacteria that are in your mouth. Using this information, we can formulate a treatment to restore the natural, healthy balance to your oral biome.
Plaque and bacteria hidden deep beneath the gum line are almost impossible to reach with your brush and floss, which can make a patient vulnerable to developing gum disease, or allow an existing infection to become much worse. Now, however, using Perio Protect trays, your dentist has a way to deliver medication right to those hard to reach spaces where gum disease thrives. The trays will be specially designed to fit comfortably over your teeth, and they’ll direct medicine deep below your gum line to clear out any harmful bacteria.
This tool uses a concentrated beam of light to help us detect tooth decay at its earliest stages, much sooner than a traditional exam can. It reads the thickness of the enamel and creates a readout your dentist can easily evaluate. With this information, they’ll be able to implement conservative treatments on vulnerable teeth so a cavity won’t develop. Over time, this will help us preserve more of your natural teeth and save you from needing more involved procedures in the future.
When treating TMD, one of the first things we’ll do is analyze the alignment of your bite. To make sure we’re as accurate as possible, we’ll use something called a Tekscan. It will show how the pressure of your bite is distributed among your teeth, and if we spot any high-pressure spots that could be causing you pain, we’ll be able to directly address them so we can quickly alleviate your discomfort.
These instruments, with the use of a consistent stream of water and high-frequency vibrations, replace the majority of uncomfortable, hand-scraping tools dentists formerly used for scaling or cleaning your teeth and gums of plaque and tartar. Ultrasonic scalers also facilitate the performance and safety of endodontic therapy or root canals. Altogether, they enable our team to make your dental care more comfortable (and effective) every step of the way.
Call 509-925-6553 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit.
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