Patients of orthodontist Daniel Barry can choose from a variety of colorful brackets, bands, braces and retainers. Meanwhile, there are enough new gadgets out there to make a trip to the dentist or orthodontist less painful and time-consuming than ever. For example, filling a tooth has never been easier, said Aspros. This allows dentists to do fillings much more quickly and accurately. Though the practice of using tooth-colored material and fiber optic light for various dental procedures has been around for a while, the equipment keeps improving, he explained.
Patients love it.
Patients also love a newly improved technique in cavity removal called air abrasion, Torgerson said. The reason it's so popular is it replaces the traditional drill in removing small cavities. It involves using a miniature sand-blaster, projecting tiny micron particles that have been reduced to a fine dust. It is quiet and painless. Not all of the new technology, however, is what it is cracked up to be, Aspros said.