Advanced Dental Technology – Henrico, VA

Digital Impressions with Planmeca

There are no more gag-inducing putty impressions at our practice. Instead, we use our high-tech Planmeca digital impression system that effortlessly creates a detailed, 3D blueprint of your dental structure. We can then transfer the impression to our in-house milling machine to make you a dental crown during your appointment or send it off to our laboratory to craft you a perfectly-fitted, natural-looking prosthetic. Best of all, it only takes a couple of minutes to complete!

Soft Tissue Laser

Our dentist and team are proud to offer laser dentistry with our in-house Gemini™ laser in Henrico. Laser dentistry is one of the latest breakthroughs in modern dentistry and allows us to perform the treatments we offer in a safer, faster and more comfortable manner, often eliminating the need for anesthetics.

At Who Does Your Teeth, lasers are utilized both by our dentist and our hygienists. The laser has many uses, such as assisting with TMJ and muscle pain, treating canker sores, desensitizing teeth, performing periodontal therapy, improving gum health, and much more. The Gemini™ laser is a diode laser which consists of a specific light energy, wavelength, and intensity that decontaminates bacteria, loosens muscles, and increases oxygenation into tissues. What makes the Gemini™ laser different is it has two wave lengths that can be used separately or combined to aid in patient comfort.

The laser is used for patients with gingivitis, gum disease, implants, and more to increase hygiene efficacy, as it decontaminates the bacteria within the gum tissue, improving overall oral and general health. The decontamination treatment is used for both natural teeth and implants. For periodontal therapy, it has the added benefit of creating an analgesic (numbing effect) to ease any discomfort.

Common uses include:

• Photobiomodulation (PBM) pain and healing
• Gingival decontamination (usually two or more treatments)
• Hemostasis (stops bleeding)
• Biopsies (No cutting, easier healing)
• Tooth desensitization (used after extractions, endodontic treatment, and fillings to reduce post-op pain)
• Aphthous ulcers (relieves initial canker sore pain and ulcers do not appear in same area after treatment)
• Herpetic lesions (reduced pain)
• Muscle pain reduction

Our laser can be used by our dentist for restorative procedures as well, including orthodontics, TMJ and muscle pain, and tooth pain. A game changer in dentistry is Photobiomodulation (PBM). This therapy is used to treat TMJ and muscle pain, acute pain, and encourage healing.

Intraoral Camera

An intraoral camera is a tool we use to get a closer look at different parts of your smile. The intraoral camera is a small, pen-shaped device that we can use to take high-quality color photos of your teeth and gums, as well as other areas of your mouth as needed. Because the intraoral camera is so small and easily maneuverable, we can use it to see angles in your mouth that we cannot easily view with the unaided eye. We may utilize the intraoral camera to better evaluate your oral health and diagnose dental problems like tooth decay and periodontal disease, as well as tooth damage like a cracked or chipped tooth. The intraoral camera is also useful in following up after a treatment has been completed.

In addition to helping our team get a better view of your smile, the images taken with the intraoral camera allow you to gain a better understanding of your oral health and dental treatments. We can also send these photos to other dentists and specialists and can submit them to dental insurance companies as needed.

Digital X-Rays

Digital X-rays are one of the advanced diagnostic tools we use to provide you with the best possible care. Digital radiography has changed the way we take dental X-rays by making the process faster, more comfortable, and more convenient than ever before. They use Planmeca to take images of your teeth, unlike traditional X-rays that use film. They also produce significantly less radiation than conventional film X-rays and require the use of no chemicals for developing the images. Our dentist can then instantly view the high-quality images on monitors right in the treatment room to provide you with efficient, accurate diagnoses and care. Our team is able to use digital radiography to identify and diagnose several types of dental problems, such as:

• Decay in between teeth
• Developmental abnormalities
• Improper tooth root positioning
• Cysts and abscesses
• Fractures in existing fillings
• Tumors
• Infection in the tooth nerves
• Bone loss

Advanced Infection Control Technology

Even before Covid, our team has been committed to keeping our patients as safe as possible and minimizing any risk of illness or infection. That’s why we adhere to the absolute highest standards of cleanliness and safety in dentistry, even exceeding those outlined by OSHA and the CDC.

Our office is equipped with a variety of features to ensure the cleanest and most hygienic environment possible, including our medical-grade office filtration system that filters the air of the entire practice, upgraded vacuum system, and our hospital-grade vacuum heat autoclave sterilizers that sanitize all of our dental instruments. Each of these devices ensures that the air you’re breathing at our office and every instrument that you’re coming into contact with is as sterilized as possible.

3D Digital Imaging

3D digital imaging (also known as cone beam technology) helps our team create extremely detailed, three-dimensional images of your mouth during the evaluation and treatment planning process. This kind of modern imaging is effective in not only evaluating possible conditions from every possible angle, but also ensuring a higher level of efficiency and accuracy as we work on improving your smile. Dr. Neal uses this technology regularly, including for tooth replacement cases, TMJ assessment, orthodontics, and so much more.