Digital Dentistry in Thunder Bay

At Scott Family Dental we pride ourselves on being the first to use advanced digital dental technology in Thunder Bay. The equipment we use makes it possible to deliver a more relaxing, enjoyable dental experience for our patients. The precision and esthetics outcomes are superior to previously employed techniques.

Digital technology used in our office:

• Intraoral Scanner- Digital Impression Taking: For most of our cases conventional dental impression with impression treys are not used anymore. Instead we scan your teeth and able to use the digital files to fabricate crowns, bridges, surgical guides, removable dentures and more. Digital impression taking is much more convenient and faster than conventional impressions.

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• Computer Designed Restorations: Most of the restorations are CAD-CAM fabricated and are designed on the computer screen. Crowns and bridges are milled using a 5 axis dry mill or a 3/4 axis wet mill depending on the material we use. Most of the restorations are metal free- porcelain or zirconia crowns. These are much more tissue friendly and bio-compatible.

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• Cosmetic Dentistry on the next level: with the use of advance dental technology we are able to reproduce hundreds of front teeth shapes selected by you. We are able to show you teeth molds that would be suitable for your esthetic needs and recreate the same shape with a click.

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• CBCT Guided Implant Placement: The use of tomography and computed tomography (CT) provided practitioners with the ability to assess the quantity and quality of bone and critical anatomic structures before dental implant surgery.

The advantages of guided implant surgery include:

• Accurate planning for dental implant placement, diameter and length

• Accurately plan for necessary adjunctive treatment like bone grafting procedures

• Decreased risks for nerve and arterial damage and generally less complications

• Minimally invasive surgery

• Shorter surgeries

• Predictable restorative procedures

• Decreases pain and discomfort in the immediate postoperative period

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If you have any questions about these procedures or you know you might need a consult with our dental specialists, please contact us at Scott Family Dental at 807-345-6331, we would love to meet you in person.

Dental implants and oral hygiene

Thanks to the advancement of technology and research in the field of implant dentistry, the application of osseointegrated dental implants is greater than ever.

Dental implants traverse the oral cavity through the surrounding mucosa into the sterile jawbone. Dental implants need a mucosal sealing mechanism to protect the microbiologically sterile root area. If the seal is breached, periodontal pathogens gain access to the root area.

 There are two types of peri-implant inflammation: Peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. Peri-implant mucositis is the reversible inflammation of the mucous membrane. The progression of peri-implant mucositis to inflammation around the implant surface causing bone loss is known as peri-implantitis. Without treatment, peri-implantitis can result in the loss of an implant.

Risk factors for peri-implantitis:

-       Oral hygiene: The accumulation of plaque is a risk factor for periodontal diseases, peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis.

-       Smoking and alcohol consumption

-       Existing or previous periodontitis

-       Diabetes

-       Some medications and radiation therapy

-       Systemic conditions like cardiovascular disease

Symptoms of peri-implantitis

The first warning sign is peri-implant mucositis, which is usually diagnosed during regular oral hygiene checkups. Other signs include: bleeding, redness, pain, pus.

Oral hygiene tips for your dental implants:

-       Brush teeth twice daily- an electric toothbrush is highly recommended

-       Floss every day- there are special floss for dental implants that help access hard to reach areas.

- Use a waterpik

-       Avoid smoking

-       Eat healthy

-       Regular dental checkups- if the disease is treated early, stopping the progression of the disease is possible

If you have any questions about these procedures or you know you might need a consult about dental implants please contact us at Scott Family Dental at 807-345-6331, we would love to meet you in person.