Newest technology in North Carolina

Author: Dr. David G. Dickerhoff, DDS, MAGD, FOCOI

We have all noticed the effect that technology has on our everyday lives. Most of it is beneficial albeit a double edged sword when not applied to its intended use. I recently received a gift from the Implant Study Club I am a member of and which brought home to me the correct message of the proper application of new technology. The gift was a cutting board and the inscription on it congratulated me for staying on the “cutting edge” of dental technology. Spring Lake Dental Group, since its inception in 1996, has always placed itself on the cutting edge by staying current with dental research, materials, methods and developing technologies. The example I would like to offer is the newest development in dental materials and techniques that allow us to offer an alternative to PFM (porcelain fused to metal) crowns. Typically, these crowns that offered stacked porcelain glass bonded to an underlying metal were the workhorse of most prosthetic dentistry in the last couple of decades. Silica porcelain glass is somewhat brittle and had to be stacked by a trained dental laboratory technician and fired in a kiln oven. Because the coefficient of thermal expansion matched the underlying metal, a restoration could be created that mimicked dental aesthetics and had enough strength that it could be chewed on without breaking.

With the recent development of superior materials, such as dilithium silicate or zirconia metals, suitable esthetics can be achieved with even better wear characteristics. But because technology allows us to use digital impressions and designing capabilities, these materials can be milled digitally and incredibly accurate milling machines. This mechanization allows laboratories to control costs better and the digital information exchange allows us to deliver the restoration much more timely. Because traditional  PFM crowns are abrasive to opposing dentition wile newer restoration are as kind as gold crowns, we have moved towards placing more and more of these restorations. As with most treatment planning, the best restoration is usually achieved by talking with your dentist and evaluating your own individual needs and requirements.

We at Spring Lake Dental Group value our relationship with our patients and will continue to offer you the newest and most cutting edge dentistry…if that is what is right for you!