Dr. Richardson-Foote and her staff believe that having the latest in modern dental technology allows them to give top quality dental care to their patients.
Here at Foote Family Dental, we do not hang onto outdated dental methodology because we believe our patients always deserve the most effective in care.
Some of the great dental technologies we use in our office include:
- Digital X-rays – If you’ve ever gone to the dentist in the past, you may remember having to bite on special film that was used for x-ray procedures. With modern dental technology, you no longer have to put the film in your mouth and instead we now use a digital sensor that takes an x-ray of your tooth. Digital x-rays make it so we can take crystal clear x-rays without having to wait for the film to process, making you spend less time in the dental chair. In addition, digital x-rays allow us to be able to take as many x-rays as necessary to make sure you are getting the best treatment for your teeth possible. The amount of exposure to radiation from digital x-rays is far less than the traditional film radiographs making them much safer.
- Intraoral Camera – One of the great technologies that we use to help assist our patients is intraoral cameras. With intraoral cameras, we are able to show you directly what is going on inside your mouth with the use of advanced digital pxhotography and video. By using intraoral cameras we can help you evaluate your best treatment options and show your progress during treatment. Intraoral cameras are digital and it only takes seconds for us to have an image ready to show you. Never before has evaluating your treatment options been so easy.
- CariVu – This radiation-free, infrared light is an additional diagnostic tool that can easily detect cavities deep in the grooves and between teeth. By allowing us to detect cavities early, we’re able to treat them and prevent further decay earlier. CariVu is great for pregnant patients, patients wearing braces, small kids who cannot take x-rays, and patients who have rotated or overlapped teeth.
- CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) – . It is used to take 3-D digital x-ray images of the teeth and jaw bone. Regular digital x-rays only give us a 2-D image. This gives us very limited information when compared to a 3-D image. Unfortunately they expose the patient to more radiation so we have to be careful and use them for specific procedures. The CBCT is great when planning implant cases, extractions, root canals, orthodontics, etc. They are also helpful in diagnosing pathology in the bone and periapical lesions that do not show up on a 2-D x-ray.
- 3-D Digital Scanner – We use these scanners instead of taking impressions. This helps us take a digital model or replica of the patient’s teeth and soft tissue. This can either be sent electronically to a lab or it can be “merged” with the 3-D x-ray using special software. This is helpful when planning guided implant surgery. These scanners can be used to make crowns, bridges, veneers, partials and even dentures in some cases. These scans are much more accurate than any PVS impression and much more comfortable for the patient. This is a great alternative to patients with a strong gag reflex.
- Lasers – At Foote Family Dental we also use soft tissue lasers for a number of treatments. Lasers are a great technology that enables us to help our patients get fast, effective, and more comfortable treatments.
- PRF – PRF stands for Protein Rich Fibrin. These growth factors help patients heal faster after oral surgery.
- Ostell Reader : This is an instrument that objectively and non-invasively determines the implant stability. It helps the clinician assess the progress of the osseointegration without jeopardizing the healing process. The surgeon can take a reading the day the implant is placed and determine if the implant is stable enough to restore immediately. If not, the reading can be taken at different times without causing harm to the implant. This improves the long-term survival rate of the implant by not loading it too early. This can save time by not making the patient wait too long unnecessarily if the ostell reading shows the implant is ready to restore early.
Our Preferred Office Brands
In addition to utilizing excellent technology, we carefully select the brands that we use in our office and recommend to patients for at-home care. Some of our preferred products and brands include:
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Philips Sonicare Diamondclean Smart – This electric toothbrush is the premier choice for patients invested in good oral hygiene and health.
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Oracare Mouth Rinse (Dentist Select) – Oracare is our chosen mouth rinse brand for banishing bacteria and keeping your mouth clean.
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Fluoridex Toothpaste Daily Defense and Sensitivity
Relief – This toothpaste prevents cavities and is perfect for patients with sensitive teeth. -
Opalescence Brand Whitening – We love Opalescence because their formula includes PF ingredients that help keep your smile strong and reduce sensitivity. We also use Sinsation Smile In-Office Whitening.
Have questions about the dental technologies we employ at our Gonzales LA office? Please give us a call today, even if you are in the surrounding communities of Baton Rouge or Prairieville!