April 25, 2019 | Ann Le For some people, a trip to the dentist means anxiety and frustration due to lengthy visit times and uncomfortable x-ray procedures. But what if undergoing dental imaging could be easier, faster, and much more comfortable? Thankfully, our team at Bunker Hill Dentistry is proud to offer a better alternative—the iTero Element 2 intraoral digital scanner. This cutting-edge piece of dental equipment is changing the way doctors and patients experience the imaging process. Here are six key benefits to consider. Benefit #1: See a Full 3-D Model of Your Teeth Have you ever sat in the dentist’s chair squinting to try to make out what your doctor was trying to tell you about your teeth? Thankfully, technology is turning that sort of frustrating experience into a thing of the past. Perhaps the most important benefit to the iTero Element 2 is the final image it provides. These digital photos are some of the most detailed available and offer patients with an almost instantaneous three-dimensional model of their teeth. In fact, our dentists can use the system to scan your entire mouth in under three minutes and show you the state of your mouth and the benefits of a treatment plan before you even stand up from the chair. Benefit #2: The Process is Much More Comfortable Another benefit to the iTero Element 2 is that the process is much more comfortable for patients. During the process, the dentist uses a small wand to take photos of the inside of the patient’s mouth. There’s no disgusting goop to swallow or need for coating your teeth in titanium dioxide powder, and the scanning procedure is entirely painless. You can even breathe, talk, or sneeze during the process without distorting the images. This is incredibly important. Discomfort during imaging or traditional impressions often leads to patients biting down harder than they normally would. In turn, this creates an exaggerated image of the type of dental issues he or she is experiencing, which can affect the creation of retainers, aligners, and even whitening trays. With the iTero digital scanner, this isn’t a problem. Patients are comfortable throughout the whole process, which takes less time and provides a clear picture of the mouth. iTero Element® intraoral scanners have a wand touchpad designed to let you switch between scanning segments or rotate the image on screen so you can have a 360° view of your patient’s teeth. It’s as easy as using a smartphone. https://t.co/o5EQEgbnb4 #iTeroTips pic.twitter.com/8y7siHZ41I — iTero Scanner (@iTeroScanner) February 11, 2019 Benefit #3: There Are Less Retakes and Errors Who wants to keep coming back for repeat images or worse—finding out later there was an error with the initial scan? With the iTero Intraoral Digital Scanner, there is a lessened chance of errors and a minimized need for retakes. Why? The iTero Element 2 utilizes a small wand to take detailed images of a patient’s mouth. That means there’s no need for complicated impressions or repeating the process if it didn’t capture the full image the first time. In fact, it captures thousands of images of a patient’s mouth before sending them to the station, which then combines them to create a full digital image. Benefit #4: It Speeds Up Appointment Time We know you’ve probably got a busy schedule. After all, who really has time to sit around at a dental appointment all day? The beauty of the iTero scanner is that it greatly speeds up the length of time that patients are at an appointment. Imagine the ability to sit in a dentist’s chair and have a full scan of your mouth within three minutes. There’s no need to wait for a ton of x-rays or having to stand by while someone in the office interprets the results. Imaging is virtually instantaneous and allows your doctor to help you understand your treatment plan fully without taking up your entire day. What will you do with all of that extra time? Benefit #5: Enjoy Faster Device Creation One additional benefit to this dental imaging system is a lowered overall waiting time for the creation of dental products. Patients get to enjoy a much faster response time thanks to the scanner’s instant imaging. In the past, a dentist had to take x-rays and then send them off to wait for the creation of a dental device. With the iTero Element 2 scanner, this lag in communication between the lab and your local dental office is greatly decreased, as the images are sent almost instantly to those who create the aligners and other restorations. While the scanner is primarily used for Invisalign patients, it is also incredibly helpful for those who require crowns, veneers, and implants. Benefit #6: You Get to See an Honest Simulation of Your Invisalign Treatment Another benefit of the iTero Element 2 is that it provides patients with an honest simulation of how their Invisalign treatment actually works. How? The manufacturer behind the iTero brand is Align Technology and also owns the Invisalign system. What does this mean to patients? It means that the two systems are designed to work seamlessly together to give you a full idea of what your teeth look like now and how the Invisalign system could help improve your smile. Likewise, if you’ve slacked off a little bit in following your treatment plan, the system allows the dentist to show you exactly what you could be doing that’s harmful to your smile. Visualizing what your teeth will look like in the future was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the scanner according to one of our first patients to try out the iTero Element 2, who kindly wrote a guest post on his experience. Are you ready to see what the iTero Element 2 has to offer? Contact our friendly and knowledgeable Bunker Hill Dentistry team by calling (832) 834-5281 to schedule your appointment. Ann LeAnn Le has been successfully managing dental practices since 1990. She is currently Practice Manager at Bunker Hill Dentistry in Houston, TX which she runs with her husband Dr. Tri M Le.
