Bixby Dentist Says New 3D Scanner Means Better Patient Care

Going to the dentist is intimidating and even scary for a lot of people. But the newest edition of a 3D scanner is expected to not only make the dentist's job easier, but dentists say it will also improve the patient's experience. 

Sitting back in the dentist chair is often followed with discomfort or pain. But not this time. It's all thanks to Dr. Christopher Trockel at True Smile Orthodontics' new iTero 3D scanner. His practice is one of the first in Tulsa to test it out.

"It allows us to provide a much better service and a faster and much more comfortable, for sure," Dr. Trockel said.

Every year thousand of people go in for dental work. Some of Dr. Trockel's most common procedures are braces, crowns, and bridges.

Typically to perform those procedures there are a lot of steps. They take impressions of the teeth which sometimes causes patients to gag. Then the impression has to be sent off to be customized.

And even then, the fit isn't always just right.

"With just waving the wand over the teeth, we get a image that's much more accurate than the impression," he said.

This isn't the first 3D scanner, but the newest one. He says a tool like this will be especially great for people with braces. If they lose or damage their retainer, instead of going back through the process to mold a new one, the iTero does it for them.
 
"With this technology, we are able to keep a virtual copy of their teeth for as long as we want," said dentist Dr. Christopher Trockel.

Since the machine is connected digitally, it also makes sharing a patient's dental history easier and faster. Trockel says when he got into dentistry, he expected to see new medical advances. After this, he's excited to see what's next.

 "It's definitely really exciting to see this enter something like dentistry," he said.

While the machine was pricey, the dentist says they won't pass the cost along to customers. He says they'll be able to treat more patients because the machine saves them so much time.