Technology

Laser dentistry in Grand Island incorporates advanced hard and soft tissue lasers to enhance precision and comfort. This technology includes Fotona LightWalker®, Er YAG and Nd YAG, and lightScalpel®, and are particularly beneficial as they align with Dr. Brown's biological dentistry approach by minimizing tissue damage and promoting faster healing.

Hard Tissue Lasers — Primarily used for cutting through tooth structure, hard tissue lasers are essential for precise cavity preparation and reshaping teeth without traditional drills. This reduces heat and vibration, which can cause discomfort, and preserves more of the natural tooth.

Soft Tissue Lasers—We use soft tissue lasers for procedures involving the gums and other soft tissues in the mouth. They seal blood vessels, and photobiomodulation helps loosen tight fascia, reduces pain, and speeds healing, significantly reducing bleeding and swelling during procedures like gum reshaping, frenectomies, or periodontal surgery. The result is a smoother procedure with enhanced comfort and a quicker recovery time.

We use panoramic x-rays at Cottonwood Dental to obtain a comprehensive view of your mouth in a single image. Unlike traditional x-rays that focus on small areas, panoramic x-rays capture the entire mouth structure, helping identify problems like impacted teeth, bone abnormalities, cysts, tumors, and fractures that might remain undetected with standard x-rays.

This technology is crucial for Dr. Brown to assess your oral health, from the position of your teeth and their roots to your jawbones and sinuses. Panoramic x-rays are particularly useful in planning treatments that involve multiple teeth or the jaw, such as orthodontic assessments, implant placements, and evaluations of wisdom teeth.

Digital x-rays and sensitive digital sensors enable us to capture detailed images of teeth and bone structures with a fraction of the radiation used in traditional film x-rays. These images offer exceptional clarity, helping Dr. Brown diagnose conditions at their earliest stages—from minor cavities to hidden dental abnormalities that could affect overall health if left untreated. Early detection is crucial for preventing more extensive, costly, and invasive treatments down the line, staying true to our preventive care philosophy.

The images are also available for immediate viewing, making them an excellent educational tool. By viewing these clear images together, you can better understand your oral health status and the reasons behind recommended treatments, making you an active participant in your dental care journey.

Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) offers a three-dimensional view that captures detailed images of your teeth, jawbone, nerve paths, and soft tissues in a single scan. Visualizing these details is essential for dental implant placement, tooth orientation and bone structure evaluation, and diagnosis of hidden or complex dental issues.

With the level of detail obtained from CBCT scans, Dr. Brown can better diagnose and address your treatment needs and perform minimally invasive surgeries more precisely. CBCT technology aligns with Cottonwood Dental’s commitment to providing detailed, accurate dental care that supports overall health and wellness.

This technology creates ozone, a form of oxygen with potent antimicrobial properties used to treat and disinfect various dental conditions. Ozone therapy effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi, making it essential for procedures like gum disease management, root sensitivity, and cavity treatment.

By applying ozone during dental treatments, Dr. Brown ensures a higher level of disinfection that significantly reduces the risk of infection and promotes faster healing. Ozone therapy treats the immediate area and supports the body's immune response, enhancing overall health and wellness.

An intraoral scanner is an advanced imaging technology that captures highly accurate digital impressions of your mouth. Unlike traditional impressions, which can be uncomfortable and messy, the intraoral scanner is quick and clean, making the process far more comfortable.

Digital impressions help Dr. Brown achieve precise results for dental crowns and bridges, ensuring a perfect fit and better treatment outcomes. With real-time scanning, the intraoral scanner speeds the process from diagnosis to treatment, reducing wait times for customized dental appliances.

An intraoral camera is a small, handheld device that projects images from inside your mouth onto a screen. It allows us to view your teeth and gums in high detail with a magnified view that shows hard-to-see areas, making it easier to explain treatment recommendations to patients.

Because you can see what Dr. Brown sees, you can better understand your oral health condition and the need for proposed treatments. We can also save images from your visit to your digital records, so we always have the most updated information at hand. 

Using digital records allows us to efficiently manage your information, including your dental history, treatment plans, medications, x-rays, and intraoral images. Secure digital records allow our team members to access your information more efficiently so Dr. Brown can make informed decisions based on comprehensive health information.