When advanced technology meets exceptional skill, you get a better experience, optimal treatment outcomes

Technology without skill is just that. Technology. Our team at Athens Dental Group has the highly trained and skilled professionals to power the technology. So, the technology can then work in favor of our valued patients from Watkinsville, Winder, Bethlehem, Jefferson, Winterville, Madison, and across greater northern and eastern Georgia. Our patients enjoy the most comfortable and convenient experience. The use of digital dentistry also helps to support optimal outcomes from treatment. Here, we are happy to answer a few questions about some of these technological capabilities: CEREC, Primescan, Omnicam, and 3-D printing.

What is CEREC?

CEREC refers to “Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.” While this may sound like a mouthful, CEREC is simply a way for us to plan, design, fabricate, refine, and place dental crowns in just one visit. Typically, it requires at least two visits to complete the crowns process because the crowns are actually made by an offsite lab. With CEREC technology, we can make the crowns in-house. This allows for the fastest, most comfortable treatment experience as well as the ultimate in quality control. We have the tools, such as an onsite milling machine, to craft truly stunning and incredibly strong crowns out of a premium block of dental ceramic. 

How are Primescan and Omnicam different from traditional scanners?

These technologies represent very small “intraoral” scanners. This means that the tiny, handheld devices are designed to scan the inside (“intra”) of the mouth (“oral”). Since they are so small, they support the most comfortable, gentle, stress- and fear-free dental experience. They are also precise and fast, rendering accurate images quickly. For instance, Primescan can process one million-plus 3-D (three-dimensional) points each second. This means less time is spent collecting diagnostic information chairside, allowing for more efficient creation of dental appliances, restorations, and effective treatment plans.

Omnicam is described as a “real alternative” to the high-performance scanner Primescan. It is one of the smallest scanners on the market today. It is particularly good at helping our dentists to get reliable images of the four quadrants of the mouth: the upper and lower right and left dental arches. Treatment only works when it is based on a clear and accurate understanding of the problem at hand, courtesy of diagnostic information like digital imaging. 

How do dentists use 3-D printing? 

You are likely already familiar with the “magic” of 3-Dimensional printer systems in other industries or for consumer use. But our dentists, Drs Drew Richardson, Brant Sandifer, or R. Lawrence George, can use these technologies, too, to craft everything from surgical guides for precision dental implant placement to oral appliances for mouthguards, bruxism (teeth grinding) or sleep apnea on site! This reduces the wait for our patients and once again allows for quality control as we handle all steps in the process – from the actual planning and design of the device to its manufacturing and adjustments. 

Now that you know a bit about some of the technologies we use at Athens Dental Group, experience them for yourself. Schedule an appointment today. Call (706) 666-4611 to reach our friendly team in Athens, GA.