Local Dentist Makes Patient Visits Comfortable With State-of-the-Art Digital Impressions

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 14, 2009 – Dr. Michael Rogers is making trips to his dental office a more comfortable and interactive experience for patients. After years of taking traditional impressions for patients who need a crown or bridge, Dr. Michael Rogers has replaced the uncomfortable procedure that involves plastic trays, the messy impression material and – most importantly – the uncomfortable wait time that patients endure while the impression material sets in their mouth. Thanks to a new product called the Lava™ Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S. from 3M ESPE, Dr. Rogers can now capture impressions digitally, without any of the challenging materials or unpleasant waiting time.

Using a small, lightweight wand consisting of a highly complex optical system, Dr. Rogers glides the wand tip over the patient’s teeth to capture video images. The system captures large amounts of visual images every second and displays them in real time on a touch screen monitor. Dr. Rogers can review the digital impression with patients while they’re still sitting in the chair. Dr. Roger’s practice is one of the first in Arlington, VA / DC Metro Area to offer the Lava C.O.S. and his patients will be some the first patients in the world to experience this revolutionary technology.

“Patient complaints about the impression process are common,” states Dr. Rogers. “Now we can give them a comfortable, engaging and high-tech experience. The patient’s teeth are displayed in real time on a touch screen monitor and reviewed with the patient, something that was never possible with traditional impressions. This fosters better communication between the two of us and comes at no extra cost to the patient.”
The Lava C.O.S. uses an entirely new method of capturing data called 3D-in-Motion technology. This proprietary technology has not yet been used in any other industry, making the dental industry the first to benefit from this amazing breakthrough in digital imaging. Once Dr. Rogers has reviewed the digital impression, the file is sent to his dental lab to produce the final restoration.  

3M ESPE, the dental division of parent company 3M, is engaged in a strategic rollout of the device in select regions throughout the U.S.

For more information contact Dawn Patrick, Practice Administrator at (703)671-1001 or visit our website at www.FairlingtonDental.com.  You may also visit 3M ESPE online at www.3mespe.com/lavacos.