What the Lava Chairside Oral Scanner Does
The Lava Chairside Oral Scanner (COS) is a new tool for creating dental impressions, or models of your teeth – but unlike traditional dental impressions, which are made by having the patient bite down into a tray containing a pliable material and taking a mold of the teeth, the Lava COS takes images to create digital impressions.
The Lava COS uses a small, light scanning wand which fits comfortably in the patient’s mouth to create digital images of their teeth and gums. While you’re in the dental chair, Dr. Mullins will use the small scanning wand to take digital images of the inside of your mouth with no discomfort and no waiting for the mold to set.
Then, using the Lava COS touch screen, Dr. Mullins will be able to immediately show you detailed images your teeth and gums, explain any dental issues, and discuss potential treatments using the digital images right there in front of you.
When you decide to have a dental restoration made, Dr. Mullins will send your digital prescription to the lab, which uses special software to design the restoration and manufacture it to your unique specifications.
Why the Lava COS Is Better for Patients
Taking digital images is faster and easier for patients and dentists alike. Using trays to take a physical impression of a patient’s teeth and gums and then using that mold to make dental restorations adds a margin for error that simply doesn’t exist with digital impressions. Dental restorations created from Lava COS digital impressions have a 99.84% “fit rate” – meaning that the piece of dental work created for you from these digital images is almost certain to fit correctly the first time.
In addition to its accuracy, the Lava COS is interactive, which helps patients be more engaged in their own dental health. Immediately after taking the digital impression, Dr. Mullins can show you a digital scan of your mouth and discuss issues and potential solutions, address your questions, and show you how best to care for your teeth.
With better accuracy than physical impressions and immediate results, the Lava COS helps Dr. Mullins diagnose dental issues, evaluate what kind of restorations need to be prescribed, and even place crowns more quickly and efficiently. Most importantly, it offers all of these benefits while improving the patient’s experience.
The 3M Lava Chairside Oral Scanner is the perfect example of how advanced dental technology can improve care and outcomes for the patients of My Family Dentistry, and we’re proud to offer it to you!
Do you have dental issues that may require restoration work? Get in touch today to see the benefits of the Lava COS firsthand!
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