Our TechnologyBellaire, TX
iTero Intraoral Scanner
At Bellaire Dental Suite, we utilize the iTero Intraoral Scanner to provide a faster, more comfortable, and highly precise alternative to traditional dental impressions. This state-of-the-art technology allows us to capture every detail of your smile without the need for messy, "goopy" putty.
What It Is & How It Works
The iTero scanner is a handheld wand that uses advanced parallel confocal imaging to take thousands of frames per second. As our team moves the wand around your mouth, it uses radiation-free laser technology to stitch these images together into a high-definition 3D model in real-time. You can watch your digital smile appear instantly on our chairside monitor, giving you a clear view of your dental health that was never possible with flat X-rays or mirrors.
Services and Applications
The extreme accuracy of the iTero scanner (measured down to microns) ensures that dental appliances and restorations fit perfectly the first time. At our practice, we use it for:
- Invisalign®: We use the Invisalign Outcome Simulator to show you a “before and after” preview of your straightened smile before you even start treatment.
- Restorative Care: We create digital impressions for custom-fit crowns, bridges, and veneers, eliminating the risk of distortion often found in physical molds.
- Dental Implants: Scans assist in the precise planning and placement of dental implants and custom abutments.
- Preventative Monitoring: Using TimeLapse technology, we can compare scans over several years to monitor tooth wear, gum recession, and shifting.
glidewell.io In-Office Solution
At Bellaire Dental Suite, we are proud to offer the glidewell.io In-Office Solution, a revolutionary CAD/CAM system that brings the power of a world-class dental lab directly to our chairside. This technology allows us to provide "Same-Visit Dentistry," where patients can receive high-quality, permanent restorations in a single appointment.
How It Works
The process begins with a quick digital scan of your teeth, eliminating the need for uncomfortable putty impressions. Our fastdesign.io™ software then uses advanced Artificial Intelligence—trained on a database of millions of successful cases—to propose a crown design that perfectly matches your natural anatomy.
Once the design is approved, it is sent to our fastmill.io™ in-office milling unit. This compact, high-precision machine carves your restoration from a solid block of ceramic or zirconia (such as the industry-leading BruxZir®) in as little as 40 minutes. Because these materials are pre-treated, your crown is ready to be polished and bonded immediately—no overnight oven firing required.
Services and Applications
By eliminating the "middleman" of an outside laboratory, we use glidewell.io to provide:
- Same-Day Crowns: Repair cracked or decayed teeth with permanent, lab-quality crowns in one visit.
- Inlays & Onlays: Custom-fit “partial crowns” that preserve more of your natural tooth structure.
- Veneers: Efficiently craft beautiful, durable aesthetic enhancements.
- Emergency Repairs: Quickly replace a broken restoration without the need for a temporary crown that might fall off.
Vatech digital panoramic X-ray
At Bellaire Dental Suite, we believe that a clear picture is the foundation of a great treatment plan. The Vatech PaX-i represents the gold standard in digital panoramic imaging, allowing us to capture highly detailed, 2D extraoral images of your entire mouth in just seconds.
By utilizing advanced sensor technology, the PaX-i provides a comprehensive view of your teeth, jaw structure, and surrounding tissues with remarkable clarity. This "big picture" perspective is essential for identifying issues that might be missed during a standard visual exam or with traditional bitewing X-rays.
Why We Use the Vatech PaX-i
- Superior Image Clarity: High-resolution digital images allow our team to detect cavities, bone loss, and impacted teeth with incredible accuracy.
- Reduced Radiation: Your safety is our priority. The PaX-i is designed to capture diagnostic-quality images using significantly lower radiation doses than traditional film X-rays.
- Comfortable & Fast: There’s no need to bite down on uncomfortable sensors. You simply stand in place while the machine performs a quick, seamless scan around your head.
- Instant Results: Because the images are 100% digital, they are available for review on our monitors immediately, allowing us to walk you through your diagnosis in real-time.
- The Digital Advantage: Digital X-rays aren’t just better for your health; they’re better for the environment. By eliminating the need for caustic developing chemicals and film waste, we’re able to provide world-class care with a smaller ecological footprint.
NOMAD Handheld X-ray System and Digital X-ray Sensors
At Bellaire Dental Suite, we utilize the NOMAD™ Handheld X-ray System combined with high-definition Digital X-ray Sensors to make your diagnostic exams safer, faster, and more comfortable. This portable duo replaces the intimidating, wall-mounted X-ray arms of the past with a streamlined, patient-centered approach.
How It Works
The NOMAD is a lightweight, battery-operated device that our team uses chairside. It features a unique, lead-infused acrylic shield that creates a "safe zone," protecting both you and the clinician from scatter radiation. Because the device is handheld, we can stay right by your side throughout the process—an invaluable benefit for children or anxious patients.
Inside your mouth, we use ultra-slim digital sensors instead of traditional film. These sensors require up to 90% less radiation to produce an image. The X-rays are converted instantly into high-resolution digital files that appear on our monitors in seconds, allowing for immediate review and discussion.
Services and Applications
This technology is integrated into nearly every facet of our care, including:
- Routine Wellness Exams: Identifying “hidden” decay between teeth and under existing fillings.
- Pediatric Dentistry: The speed of the NOMAD is perfect for small children who may have difficulty sitting still.
- Emergency Care: Rapid imaging allows us to diagnose toothaches, fractures, or abscesses instantly.
- Treatment Monitoring: We can digitally enlarge and enhance images to track bone health or the progress of a healing site.
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