Posts

Digital VS Traditional Impressions

In the 21st century with so many new advancements in dental technology, we can truly say that digitally taken impressions have made the biggest difference for many dentists and dental practices. This gives patients a more relaxed and less time consuming treatment at the dentist.

 

The traditional approach

For many patients having dental impressions done can be very unpleasant. Patients with a strong gag reflex struggle with the entire procedure. There’s nothing worse than those three to six painful minutes waiting for the “alginate rubber material” (gooey substances) to set. For many decades traditional impressions were needed for crowns, bridges, veneers, bleaching trays, and not forgetting night guards.traditional impression

Digital impressions using an IOS scanner

Digital impressions are taken with an intraoral scanner (IOS) using optical light technology as its source to scan the soft and hard tissue within the mouth.  The IOS scanner digitally captures clear and highly accurate impressions within seconds. With a digital scanner, patients will not feel uncomfortable and have a gagging reflex or throw up when impressions are being taken.

digital impressions

Benefits of digital impressions

  • Digital impressions avoid the discomfort these traditional impression materials can cause patients, such has gagging or even throwing up.
  • No more awful taste left in your mouth after having impressions taken.
  • Patients save time in chair with their dentist as they do not need to wait for the alginate substance to take form or set.
  • While scanning we can immediately find errors or missed areas.
  • Digital impressions can be stored electronically which contributes to our recordkeeping and the POPI act.
  • Much more accurate than conventional impressions
  • Easy to send to dentists (Specialists around the world)
  • Forms part of a fully digitally integrated dental clinic such as Silver Oaks Dental
  • Integrates fully and immediately into the DSD protocol.

The Cost of Clear Aligners in South Africa

The cost of Clear Aligners is surprisingly affordable in South Africa. There are many adults who are just not keen on wearing traditional wired braces. Clear aligners are a great alternative as it is a clear and comfortable option for realigning your teeth.

Here are a few benefits:

  • Aligners are practically invisible.
  • Smooth surfaces (no painful metal brackets and wires)
  • Can be removed before eating and brushing teeth.
  • No long or painful dental appointments.
  • Fast and efficient (usage varies between 2 months to 9 months)
  • Before and after teeth movements are digitally simulated. This will allow the orthodontist to show you the transitions from the current state of your teeth to the expected outcome results.
  • The perfect option to “realign” your teeth again if they have gone crooked years after having traditional braces.

clear aligners

Factors that contribute to the price you pay for aligners:

  • The complexity of your case.
  • A Single jaw treatment or both jaws.
  • A refinement stage if you do not wear your aligners correctly.

How much will these clear aligners cost?

The cost of aligners are determined by the complexity of your case. The average cost for clear aligners starts from around R20 000 per jaw and around R45 000 for both jaws. Complex cases are more costly as they may require a refinement phase. Only an orthodontic assessment can determine the cost estimate as well as if you will be eligible for clear aligners.

clear aligner

You can now book an appointment with our experienced team by calling us on 031 202 6584 or emailing us at silveroaksdentalclinic@gmail.com. The Silver Oaks team looks forward to meeting you!

Digitally Guided Implant Surgery

The Digital And Great Beyond…

Digital dentistry has revolutionized the industry as we know it. From the ability to capture digital intraoral scans to digital smile design and photography we can now develop treatment plans that are accurate and predictable. We at Silver Oaks Dental Clinic have been using digitally guided surgery since the early 2000s.

Digital guided implant surgery is used to correctly position the implant which is vital to the bone, nerve, and other structures within the mouth. Implant placement procedures using a digital guide allow for an extremely accurate placement position of the implant into the bone, compared to a freehand placement. The positioning of an implant is absolutely critical to the success of the treatment. Once an implant has been placed, integration into the bone occurs, for this reason, we have a surgical guide manufactured at our onsite lab which is used to guide the implant into place to reduce the likely hood of an implant failure.

Using a guide means:
*Minimally invasive surgery allows for quicker healing and less downtime.
*Accuracy of placement which means an implant is less likely to fail.
*Reduced procedure time, which means less in chair surgery time.
*Allows us to immediately load a tooth onto the implant if the implant stability (as measured with an ISQ machine) is adequate.

Digital Guide 02