How Our Bend, OR Dental Impressions “Gel” Without Messy Gel

added on: November 15, 2022

Being your Bend general dentist, we get the impression that patients aren’t too fond of having dental impressions created of their smile and bite. Why? Because in the past, it involved a process where we would apply a type of gel to the teeth that could be messy and uncomfortable for patients. 

This is just another reason why someone who’s already anxious about Bend dentistry might avoid seeing us altogether, jeopardizing their oral and overall health.

Dr. De Graff and the team at Ponderosa Dental Center work hard to change impressions of dental care every day by making sure comfort is a top priority, along with utilizing the very best in dental technology.

Meet the iTero® Intraoral Scanner and say hello to clean, clear impressions where your detailed information is collected digitally without discomfort or mess.

Why is iTero® so Innovative?

There are various reasons why you might need an impression of your teeth or bite. Generally, it’s necessary before you get orthodontic work, such as braces, retainers, or Invisalign® clear aligners. This helps to plan your treatment with accuracy that wasn’t previously available with traditional gel impressions. We would take them using a large metal tray and liquid plaster to form against your upper and lower teeth. The gel material would eventually set to become an elastic solid, revealing a more detailed look at your smile. 

Unfortunately, for your dentist in Bend (and you), this process can be less-than-enjoyable for everyone involved, time-consuming, and won’t give us the same results as your iTero® scans. You won’t believe how we’ve made this process more patient-friendly than ever before.

How Does iTero® Work?

Forget about having to sit in the dental chair all day; our digital iTero® scans take, on average, about three to five minutes to complete. In that short time, we capture high-tech, 3-D imagery of your teeth and gum line. The iTero® can easily capture over 100,000 laser points with pinpoint detail leading to greater accuracy. This circles back to being stuck in our chair, where iTero® can virtually eliminate the need for returning visits or readjustments. 

So Many Unique Benefits

Besides using it for orthodontics, the iTero® is our go-to solution for developing your custom dental restorations you’ll love to love. From beautiful porcelain veneers to durable dental crowns, digital impressions give you the power to make the most out of your partnership with your Bend general dentist. The map we create from your scans will lay out a view of your mouth that gives us the chance to educate you, too, so that you can better understand what’s happening inside your mouth.

Contact us or schedule online for a consultation. This is where you get the chance to have a conversation with your favorite dental office in Bend, where mind-blowing technology will change how you feel about dentistry.