| Intra-Oral
Cameras
You may have been in dental offices where the Dentist and the hygienist
discuss the condition of your mouth, and you find yourself wondering
what they are talking about. If you ask for a description of the
problem, they may attempt to draw a verbal picture, or show you
snapshots of other patients with a similar problem...but not exactly
what your situation might be.
Now we can show you what your mouth looks like and can discuss
optimal treatment based on how you want your teeth to look when
we are finished. It is so true that a picture is worth a thousand
words. Once you see what work needs to be done, you'll agree that
treatment is necessary if you want to retain your natural teeth
for as long as possible.
With the use of a miniature video camera, we can project images
of your teeth, gums, and general oral health onto a wall-mounted
television. It is very easy for you to see exactly what we are talking
about, and there is no discomfort.
We can even snap a picture of a certain tooth and print it for
you. This is an excellent feature for both you and any specialist
to whom Dr. Manning may refer you. If you need to discuss your treatment
with anyone else, this picture will help them understand what is
needed.
DiagnoDent
The newest addition to Ridgepointe Dental state-of-the-art equipment
is DiagnoDent. Along with our digital x-rays, we are now using DiagnoDent
to assist the Hygienists and the Doctor in finding hidden decay
in your teeth.
Using a small, very safe laser to measure the fluorescence of your
teeth, DiagnoDent detects areas of a particular tooth that did not
measure "normal" - that is where the decay is!
Using this procedure, we find decay much sooner than they would
with a normal x-ray. The sooner decay is found, the easier it is
to treat.
Digital
X-Rays
We have upgraded
our x-ray system, in order to take full advantage of the safer digital
technology available to today's modern dentist.
Digital x-rays,
both bitewings and the panoramic x-ray, expose the patient to a
much lower dose of radiation than regular analog x-ray equipment.
Dr. Manning is very conscious of delivering the best, and safest,
treatment to all our patients, so he chose state-of-the-art digital
radiography for his office.
In addition
to added safety for the patient, digital technology allows us to
virtually do away with processing chemicals and darkroom time when
we make copies. This leads to increased safety for Ridgepointe Dental
staff, as well as eliminating heavy metal pollutants from being
discharged into the waste water system.
If you have
dental insurance, you probably know that insurers demand diagnostic-quality
x-ray copies before determining payment on some claims. Sending
the required x-rays for processing slowed down claims by sometimes
as much as a week; now we can print a digital image on regular paper...right
from the insurance desk computer. The x-ray goes into the insurance
company the same day as the claim! Faster processing usually takes
place, much to everyone's satisfaction!
The
Digital Office
Ridgepointe
Dental's state-of-the-art mindset also carries over to the front
office. Newly acquired dental software makes the administrative
end of the practice work easily and efficiently. A few of the features
include:
- Electronic
verification and transmission of claims to insurance
- Electronic verification and transmission of billing statements
- Appointment book versatility
- Accessibility of digital x-rays and charting
- Printable
patient treatment plans, including estimated patient/insurance
portions
State-of-the-art
software also affects the Hygienists' work areas; they are able
to speak their exam findings directly into the computer, via sophisticated
voice recognition technology. This saves the time and effort of
having another staff member in the room to manually mark charts.
It also eliminates the possibility of cross-contamination, because
the Hygienist's hands are only involved with the patient...she never
has to touch the computer keyboard.
Ridgepointe
Dental is determined to be on the leading edge of computer utilization
technology...in our software and our hardware. The Doctor and ancillary
personnel make sure that we are running the latest professional
operating systems, firewalls, and security options available. Your
privacy is important to us, and we make sure we actively ensure
the security of your information.
Zoom!
Teeth Whitening Technology
You may have
seen the Zoom!
Teeth Whitening System on ABC-TV's hit show, Extreme
Makeover. Well, Ridgepointe Dental uses exactly the same system.
Dr. Manning has found that Zoom!
offers the best whitening capability... in the shortest amount of
time... with the most obvious results... and in the safest manner.
Zoom!
is a whitening process that lightens discoloration of the enamel
and dentin of your teeth. Among others, drinking coffee, tea, red
wine, cola, or using tobacco can darken teeth with time. This whitening
process eliminates these discolorations, and many others.
In-office Zoom
requires about 1-1/2 hours and, because it takes only a short time,
is the method most of our patients prefer for whitening their teeth.
The process begins with protective barriers being placed on your
lips, mouth and gums. The whitening agent is then applied, a special
light is directed to the teeth and you lie back and relax for about
20 minutes. A chairside assistant is available to you at the touch
of a button, should you experience any discomfort or concern. After
a couple of repetitions of this last procedure, you're done! And
your teeth look great! Possibly as much as 6 to 10 shades lighter
than when you came in.
Latest news!
We've just upgraded to the new model Zoom 2.
Continuing
Education
Dr.
Manning maintains a strong commitment to his post-doctoral continuing
education, averaging 45-60 hours per year. He's been trained by
several of the finest clinicians in the world.
His insistence
on continuing education carries over to his staff. Chairside Assistants
and Hygienists keep current on changing technology and procedure
by attending local and out-of-area seminars, conducted by highly
trained experts.
Front Office
Business Assistants are not exempt from continuing education. All
our business people have attended skills-enhancement classes for
their particular specialty and have been involved in basic dental
education. Dr. Manning feels that the business office should be
staffed with people who understand what is involved in each treatment
that he performs.
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