Dental Technology

With assistance from cutting-edge technology, Dr. Blake J. Perry and his dental team provide:

Types of Dental Technology

Dental technology is an integral part of any dental practice. At our Mount Vernon, WA dental office we use carefully chosen technology to make your time with us as comfortable, pain-free, and efficient as possible. We understand that some people feel anxiety about visiting their dentist, and some patients are phobic of dental work. Our compassionate dentist, Dr. Blake Perry, has done everything in his power to ensure your time with us is pleasant by choosing dental technology to ensure your safety and comfort during treatment.

Here, you’ll find a description of the dental technology we use to deliver exceptional treatment to our patients.

CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic)

A method of creating dental restorations that are typically used to repair damage to your teeth from decay or injury. Perry Family Dentistry has equipment that allows us to design and create restorations using a computer’s help. Specifically, restorations are designed and created using CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing). This simply means designs are made from impressions with computer software and then passed to a unit that fabricates ceramic restoration.

CEREC can be used to fabricate:

CEREC allows us to do all our dental work in-house instead of referring you or sending your restorations to be fabricated elsewhere. By doing all of our fabrications in-house, we can deliver your restorations more quickly and with more accuracy than other dental practices that don’t have this innovative technology.

CEREC entails three steps:

1. After numbing and preparing the tooth that requires restoration, we scan your mouth or an impression of your mouth.
2. We utilize specialized computer software to design a model of your restoration that is custom-made for you.
3. The design specifications are put into the software, and your restoration is created. The restoration is then placed in your mouth, and necessary adjustments are made. The accuracy of this technology is so on point that alterations are rarely needed. Finally, the restoration is bonded to your tooth.

You’ll have your final restoration in much less time than you would at a dental practice that must send your restoration out to an off-site dental lab.

CBCT (Cone-beam Computed Tomography)

This special type of X-ray equipment is used when regular dental or facial X-rays are insufficient to see the minute details of your mouth, face, and head. In a single scan, Dr. Perry will use this technology to produce 3D images of your teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways, and bones.

With CBCT, an X-ray beam in the shape of a cone is moved around your face to produce many images. CBCT delivers extremely high-quality images so Dr. Perry can see everything very clearly.

CBCT is used to evaluate diseases of the jaw, dentition, bony structures of the face, nasal cavity, and sinuses. CBCT has the advantage of lower radiation exposure compared to a conventional CT scan.

iTero™ Intraoral Scanner

Unlike the traditional impression materials used in most dental offices, the iTero™ scanner uses a small wand gently moved around your mouth to capture highly accurate, three-dimensional images of your teeth and gums.

Dr. Perry uses the images captured by the iTero™ scanner to create 3D models for the planning and execution of various dental treatments. The iTero™ scanner offers numerous benefits over traditional impression materials, including more accuracy, comfort, and efficiency. With this revolutionary scanner, our patients no longer have to worry about the discomfort or gagging associated with traditional impressions. With the iTero™ scanner, we can provide more accurate treatment plans and a more efficient treatment process.

We will show you exactly what we see with this innovative intraoral scanner. This allows you to play a more active role in your treatment, and it enables you to fully understand what we have discovered and how our treatment plan will transform the aesthetics and health of your mouth, teeth, and gums.

CariFree®

We use this treatment to ensure the health of your teeth and gums and deliver an attractive smile. CariFree® is a system of products that reduces the risk of cavities (dental caries) in patients particularly prone to them.

Dental caries is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, and it can be passed from person to person (which is why high cavity risk tends to run in families). Dental caries is classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemic, with the numbers affected rising constantly, especially among children. Surprisingly enough, it’s estimated that approximately 85% of all adults in the United States will experience dental decay at some point in their lives. CariFree® helps us stop this disease in its tracks by killing the bacteria inside your mouth quickly and easily.

CariFree® contains a number of products for at-home use to combat cavity-causing bacteria; Dr. Perry will recommend the products (or combination of products) that are right for you based on your specific needs.

Some of the products prescribed for you may include:

CariFree® products contain several ingredients, but one of the most beneficial ingredients is xylitol, an effective treatment for preventing cavities. You may be familiar with using xylitol as a sweetener in some products at your grocery store.

Wait—how can a sweetener help with cavities?? When bacteria encounter carbohydrates and sugars, they metabolize them into acids, which damage your teeth. The bacteria that cause cavities can’t metabolize the xylitol, which starves them and reduces bacteria levels in your mouth. Additionally, because the xylitol tastes so good, your salivary glands kick into action, and your saliva repairs your damaged enamel.

In short, xylitol prevents new cavities from forming; it also reduces the amount of plaque on your teeth and the number of bacteria in plaque that does form. One of the greatest aspects of xylitol is that it can be used in patients of all ages.

Learn More About Dental Technology

Please contact Perry Family Dentistry by calling (360) 424-3133, or you may fill out our online contact form. Once we receive your inquiry, one of our team members will reach out to answer any questions you have or assist with scheduling. We are excited to offer the most advanced dental technology available today to deliver superior holistic dental care to our patients in the Mount Vernon, Washington, area.