Grand Rapids Cutting-Edge Dental Technology

Great Lakes Dental Care continues to be proactive when it comes to embracing and taking advantage of our industry’s advances in techniques and cutting-edge technology.

Great Lakes Dental Care strives to offer patients numerous treatment options through state-of-the-art technology and advanced modern procedures.

Our professional family dental office was one of the first in West Michigan to introduce non-surgical periodontal therapy, using the Deka Laser. In addition, we make use of other advanced techniques and equipment, that you can learn more about by clicking on the list of links below:

To help you take advantage of these modern techniques and technologies, our professional and knowledgeable team will communicate openly with you about all your available options to ensure that you understand your situation fully and leave our office confident about your choice of treatment.

AI-Powered X-Ray Software (Pearl)

Having X-rays taken of your mouth is essential for thorough treatment planning from our Grand Rapids, MI, dentists. For example, being able to see below the gum line and closely look at tooth roots and jawbones can open up discussion about possible extraction, root canal therapy, and the need for a bone graft prior to the placement of dental implants.

Digital X-rays, unsurprisingly, are much more advanced than the old-fashioned film X-rays but things just got even better with the help of Pearl AI software. This dental AI is used by our Grand Rapids dental office and works to significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of dental radiograph (X-ray) analysis. In other words, Pearl allows our dentists to have a deeper understanding of your smile by presenting images not in black and white, but in a colorful and easy to follow manner.

How does Pearl work? Well, it’s developed using machine learning algorithms that have been trained using the largest collection of expertly annotated dental radiographs in the world. This elevates how we approach your care and invites an additional layer of transparency and trust.

Our team at Great Lakes Dental Care is thrilled to have access to this tool as it serves to make treatment plans more accurate and the process of diagnosing an issue quicker and more precise. You can also rest easy knowing that Pearl’s AI computer software is FDA-cleared so you are perfectly safe while you rest in the exam chair.

3-D Dental Imaging (iCAT)

As the leader in West Michigan in 3-D Dental Imaging, Great Lakes Dental Care uses this precisely accurate equipment’s 3D views to analyze teeth, roots, TMJ, airway, and sinuses without magnification or distortion. This 3-D image produced by this scanner is essential when placing implants, determining the location of nerves in extractions, and when treating patients during various orthodontic treatments. Amazingly, this procedure only takes about 10 seconds and can eliminate the need for exploratory surgery.

This advanced system also gives your dentist the ability to quickly and easily compile all available images into a virtual study model complete with crowns, roots, developing teeth, impactions and alveolar bone. These highly accurate visual representations help your dentist view your entire oral cavity in 3-D so they can properly diagnose any problems.

The iCAT system even offers a lower dose scanning option (under 5 seconds) which can still capture more information in detailed 3D images while managing your radiation dose.

If you are concerned about radiation from traditional x-rays, or for more information about 3-D Imaging technology, contact Great Lakes Dental Care today.

Digital Impressions (Cadent Itero)

This new technology allows your dentist to easily create highly-accurate digital impressions of your teeth and gums, thereby eliminating the cumbersome tray and putty impressions traditionally used to make crowns and bridges. Your dentist can use this technology to capture images of your tooth’s surface and gum tissue, providing an accurate visual representation of your oral cavity. In addition, crowns can be made faster as the image is sent directly to the lab. Thy will also fit better because of the precision and accuracy of the technology. You can even view this technique while it is in progress on your dentist’s computer monitor.

For more information about digital impressions, contact our office today.

Velscope

The Velscope system helps your dentist to visualize abnormalities in the mucosal tissues of your lips, mouth and upper throat. In just about two minutes, without rinses, stains or discomfort, a Velscope examination will allow your dentist to improve their assessment of your overall oral health.

The Velscope's blue light ‘excites’ molecules deep within the layers of oral mucosal tissues. In turn, when excited, those molecules emit their own light in shades of green, yellow and red. The Velscope's filter makes this visualization possible by blocking reflected blue light and enhancing the contrast between normal and abnormal tissue.

Of course, the Velscope system is completely safe, since the only thing being shone into the oral cavity is blue light, generated by light emitting diodes. In addition, because the Velscope system is not a diagnostic test, it will not generate false positives. As a modern visualization tool, the Velscope helps your dentist discover a wide range of unhealthy tissue in the mouth, including oral pre-cancer and cancer.

To ensure that your mouth is as healthy as possible, request a Velscope exam during your next visit to Great Lakes Dental Care or contact us for more information.

Violet-Blue-Light LED Scanner (Spectra)

It’s no secret that many patients cringe at just the thought of going to the dentist due to a fear of drilling. Unfortunately, this fear often keeps them from getting the dental care they need to help prevent tooth decay.

Spectra is a lightweight hand-held device that can detect decay at its earliest stages, resulting in smaller fillings for patients. Often able to reduce or eliminate the need for drilling, this technology can help your dentist detect caries that are too small to be detected by x-rays, especially early stage enamel caries and hard-to-detect fissure caries.

Spectra uses safe, high-energy violet blue light LED technology to enable reliable tooth-by-tooth detection of fissure caries and caries on smooth surfaces. Your dentist will project this light onto the tooth’s surface to stimulate cariogenic bacteria (porphyrins) to appear red when viewed on a monitor, while healthy enamel fluoresces green.

Spectra can even detect decay hidden deep between the margins of existing composite and amalgam restorations. This technology is FDA cleared and is safe to use on both children and adults.

For more information on this exciting new technology, talk to your dentist during your next visit or contact Great Lakes Dental Care during normal business hours.

Digital X-Rays

Great Lakes Dental Care proudly offers digital x-rays for patients who wish to reduce their exposure to radiation from traditional film x-rays. This innovation will substantially reduce your exposure to radiation from X-rays, making your visit to our Grand Rapids dental office faster and easier.

A few of the advantages of Digital X-Rays:

SAFER – Reduces radiation up to 90% over traditional film X-Rays
HEALTHIER – Eliminates the need to use caustic chemicals in the office
FASTER – Produces enlarged images that can be viewed immediately
BETTER – Provides more diagnostic information to identify problems
EASIER – Stores images on the computer for easy retrieval for insurance

Your Grand Rapids dentist will begin the digital x-ray process by inserting small film into your mouth, similar to traditional dental x-rays. An image will appear immediately on a nearby computer screen. You and your dentist look at the images on a large LCD monitor, in real time, and make decisions about your dental health. Images are then stored on our computer for easy retrieval.

If you are concerned about radiation from traditional x-rays, or for more information about Digital X-Ray technology, contact Great Lakes Dental Care today.

Deka Laser

Our professional dentists use lasers combined with traditional therapeutic methods to improve the dental experience for patients in unique situations. While lasers cannot totally replace or radically change operating methods, they can be used to accompany and back up traditional instruments.

The Deka Laser offers many advantages for both the patient and the dentist:

Anaesthesia can be reduced to the use of a spray or gel instead of an injection with a needle
Cardiopathic patients and pregnant women can avoid potential problems caused by anaesthetics
Faster procedures, resulting in shorter visits and length of treatments
Bacterial decontamination and a reduced risk of infections and relapses
Selective removal of compromised tissues leaving intact and preserving healthy tooth structure
Less suturing necessary
Reduced swelling, pain and post-op sensitivity.
Faster post-op recovery and healing.
Less stress, less anxiety, especially for children
No noise or vibrations typical of the drill
Immediate aesthetic results
Safer for coagulopathic patients thanks to the absence of bleeding