Unleashing the Possibilities
Revealing the power of CEREC® AC and Galileos working together
Dr. Alex Touchstone is a big believer in the power of technology to transform patients’ lives and improve dentistry. As a CEREC user and beta tester for more than 14 years, the North Carolina doctor has seen the technology’s ease of use and accuracy mature from the first model to the current CEREC® Acquisition Center (AC) powered by Bluecam. He’s also a proponent of Galileos for low-radiation 3D imaging that improves patient communication and enables collaboration with external specialists.
What excites him more than either of these technologies alone, however, is the new Sirona Implant software, which enables the two to “talk” to each other. The excitement stems not just from the fact that Dr. Touchstone has reached the ideal for optimum implant success by generating predictable restorative results; he also sees new opportunities for dentists to further their education and reach out to other dentists to build new networks.
The Bluecam revolution
CEREC AC is a CAD/CAM imaging tool that uses Bluecam technology to take high-resolution digital impressions in even the most difficult-to-reach areas of the oral cavity. The Bluecam’s ultra-high frequency captures more detail data, more efficiently, for crisp, accurate and highly detailed digital impressions with unparalleled depth of field.
Dr. Touchstone, who has used CEREC in large and small practices, has seen the way the technology can benefit both types of practice. The quality of the impressions, he says, means there is now no limitation on the type of fixed restoration he can provide a patient. And because impressioning takes place quickly, patient comfort is increased. “I can say with confidence there isn’t a single practice that won’t benefit from CEREC,” Dr. Touchstone said. “Regardless of chairside or labside milling, every practice needs this technology.”
Total patient care
Dr. Touchstone also is excited about Galileos as a means to improve treatment planning. Not only do the unit’s scans enable dentists to work with external specialists to improve patient care, but the scans offer patients a detailed view of their oral condition. With Galileos, “the patient sees in 3D exactly what is going on. There’s not a dilemma in their mind as to whether treatment needs to be prescribed,” he said.
One of the greatest benefits of Galileos to any practice, large or small, is that it enables implant planning to take place in-house. Two models – Galileos Compact, for general practitioners, and Galileos Comfort, for larger practices, specialty dentists and surgeons – both function as powerful diagnostic tools using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), which creates 3D X-ray images – panoramic and cross-sectional views, and hard and soft tissue – using lower radiation dosages than other X-ray equipment.The benefits go beyond in-house diagnostics and treatment, however, says Dr. Touchstone. Scans can include areas of the head and neck that dentists typically do not evaluate. This presents a powerful opportunity for dentists either to work as a team with other specialists, such as oral or maxillofacial surgeons, or to obtain additional education in radiology.
Ultimately, it’s about providing the best total care for the patient. “It goes beyond talking with patients about filling teeth. Now we can look at everything going on to make sure the patient is healthy,” Dr. Touchstone said.
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