Today's dentists are a new breed. Their main goal is helping you keep the teeth you have, restoring your smile and your bite without pulling out all of your teeth. While your dentist is making your teeth look their best, he or she will be using innovative tools and technology that save more than just your smile.

1) You'll be saved from exposure to excess radiation.

Today, dentists use digital X-rays to make images of your mouth. These types of X-rays use digital sensors rather than radiographic film. The digital X-rays can be taken from inside of the mouth or from outside of the face, or they can scan traditional X-ray images in order to transmit them digitally. While the cost is higher for these types of X-rays, they save you from receiving excess radiation. In fact, they cut your exposure to radiation by 50% to 80%. Yet another benefit is their sustainability. Without the film and processing chemicals to dispose of, the dentist who uses digital radiography is a green dentist, indeed.

2) You'll be saved from multiple office visits.

Back in the day, if you needed a crown, you could make many trips to the dentist's office before the treatment was completed. The tooth had to be drilled and filled temporarily. Then the images of the crown were sent to a lab, tweaked by the dentist, sent back to the lab and finally you had a molded crown. The process could take several weeks.

Today, dentists have 3D printers that make crowns while you wait. The image of your scanned tooth is sent to a printer. There, it forms the crown. A small "oven" bakes the tooth to match your own tooth shade. You can have your crown ready to rock in an hour. The technique doesn't provide detailed reproductions just yet, so crowns for the front teeth are still made from traditional molds. But for back teeth, you'll save a lot of time, gas money and aggravation with 3D crown printing.

3) You'll be saved from inferior fake teeth.

There's a substance that dentists are beginning to really appreciate called lithium disilicate. This glass ceramic is made to be ultra-strong and long-lasting. It's so versatile, dentists may use the material with 3D printers or with traditional wax pressings. Formerly, tooth material was sometimes composed of several products melded together. Lithium disilicate teeth are molded from one piece of shock-resistant glass ceramic.

When tested with a chewing simulator against products like metal ceramic, zirconia or leucite glass, the lithium disilicate performed better in terms of strength. These new teeth will last longer and be stronger than old school ceramic teeth, saving you from crown breakage and from excess trips to the dentist because of crown failure.

If you've been waiting to brighten and restore your teeth, your wait is over. Today's dental technology can give you the smile you want, while also ensuring your safety, respecting your time and providing you with superior products. For more information, contact a dentist like Bristol Dental Group.

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