ProviderThe Role of Technology in Orthodontic Treatment
Dental technology plays a role in just about everything we do at Orthodontic Specialists of Lake Oswego.
We use technology to help us understand the nature of your orthodontic issue in detail. It allows Dr. Borgen to make an accurate and specific diagnosis, which in turn means highly customized treatment planning to meet your needs and goals in the safest and most efficient way possible.
Information gathered through the use of our technology also guides us in developing these treatment plans and adjusting them along the way as required.
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 how it's all going.
Read on to learn more about the types of technology we use most often.
Digital X-rays
Digital X-ray technology uses digital sensors and a computer to produce detailed, high-quality internal images of your teeth and gums. These images provide your orthodontist with vital insights into the position of your teeth under the gums, as well as the surrounding bones.
Dental X-rays also allow your orthodontist to make a diagnosis of your orthodontic condition and see things that may impact your orthodontic treatment, such as 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 can capture 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 play a crucial role when it comes to assessing the presence or absence of specific teeth and their roots, their form and structure, their eruption sequence, and their relationship to one another in the jaws. This provides key insights when it comes to 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 nonintrusive; you'll find it's a lot like a dental exam. You simply open wide, and your orthodontist will move the device around your mouth, capturing images. It only takes a few minutes to complete. The system then renders 3-D models of the inside of your mouth, which are displayed on a touch screen right beside you in the treatment room.
