Cosmetic Dentistry
Smile Makeover Specialist
In Collierville and Memphis, Tennessee
If you would like to contact Dr. Ettienne van Zyl to ask a question or schedule an appointment visit our convenient contact form.
Modern dental technology not only allows dentists to provide much better restorations, such as Metal-Free Fillings and Dental Implants, but also allows dentists to provide restorations with much more convenience, as well as allowing instant diagnosis and treatment of TMD.
CEREC
CEREC is an advanced Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system that allows Dr. van Zyl to construct perfect dental reconstructions while you wait. The CEREC system is composed of three parts:
- A digital camera that precisely images your teeth as they are, creating a 3-D computer image of your teeth, instead of plaster impressions.
- A CAD terminal that allows Dr. van Zyl to manipulate the image, transforming the teeth as they are into the teeth as you want them to be, a manipulation that the computer can interpret as a blueprint for your reconstructions.
- A CAM mill where the computer follows Dr. van Zyl’s instructions and uses a diamond mill to shape the ceramic blocks that are the raw material of the restoration. These blocks come in many different colors so they can be precisely matched to the color of your teeth.
The advantages of the CEREC system are its speed, accuracy, and precision. You can have point-perfect restorations created while you wait, rather than having to wait for impressions sent off to the lab.
The disadvantage of the CEREC system is that it can only produce one restoration at a time, so it is often more efficient to send whole sets of veneers off to a lab for creation. And any restoration that involves more than simply ceramic shapes (such as dental bridges or dentures) cannot be crafted on the CEREC mill, but for many restorations, such as porcelain inlays and onlays, CEREC allows you to have your custom-crafted point-perfect restoration while you wait.
K7
The K7 is an advanced diagnostic system for determining whether and to what degree you suffer from TMD. The K7 system has three main components:
- Computerized Mandibular Scanning (CMS) is a biomechanical analysis tool for assessing the precise movements of your jaw. It utilizes a magnetic tracking device and sensor array to measure the movement of your jaw to within 0.1 millimeters. It measures the movement in all directions, so that it can detect lateral as well as vertical tension, and can track whether your jaw follows a smooth, regular path or an irregular one that indicates tension or friction in movement.
- Electromyography (EMG) is an electromagnetic system for measuring the activity of your muscles at any given position of your jaw. This instrument can tell whether any of your muscles are in tension when they should be relaxed, and help to determine the position of maximum rest for your jaw.
- Sonography is measurement of the sound of your temporomandibular joint as your jaw opens and closes. It can detect any friction or sudden shifting of the components of the jaw during movement. Together with the other components of the K7 system, this can help to identify the precise problems experienced by your jaw.
The K7 system is the state-of-the-art tool for TMD Diagnosis, and can establish the presence and degree of TMD with greater precision than any other diagnostic tool.
TENS
Transcutaneous ElectroNeural Stimulation (TENS) is essentially an electric massage for the muscles of your face. A gentle, rhythmic pulse of electricity stimulates the muscles of your face to tense and relax in a pattern that helps them take in nutrition and eject wastes. It has almost no side effects, and has a high degree of specificity for treating facial pain, confirmed by over 45 published studies.
If you are interested in learning more about how dental technology is reshaping the way cosmetic dentists practice their art, please contact Dr. van Zyl for a free initial consultation.
