Monday - Wednesday 7am-4pm | Thursday 7am-12pm   18323 98th Ave NE #2, Bothell, WA 98011
   425​-​354​-​3138

All Posts Tagged: Dental Technology

Celebrating Earth Day Every Day – Our Practice’s Focus on Sustainability

Earth day is April 22 and marks the anniversary of the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Each year this day represents the opportunity to reflect on how we can better serve our environment and reduce our impact. For our practice, environmental stewardship and sustainability is something we consider as part of our daily operations. There are several ways we strive to reduce our eco-footprint and in many cases this improves efficiency for patients as well.

Paperless Practice 

Do you remember the shelves of colorful, alphabetized files in your dentist’s office? Our practice utilizes a dental software that allows us to electronically store all patient files and perform paperless charting. All information is securely stored on our servers and protected in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. This not only eliminates paper waste, but it also makes it easy to send over records to specialists when needed via email. We also offer text message reminders for patients providing a quick and easy alternative to reminder postcards that create additional paper waste.

Focus on Natural Light

When designing our space, Dr. McCauley worked with our contractor to remove low ceilings to let in natural light from the windows that span the front of our office. This allows us to minimize the need for additional lighting and helps us to reduce our electricity use. Additionally, each treatment room features one wall of windows allowing patients to enjoy natural light (and hopefully sunshine) during their appointment.

CEREC Same-Day Crowns 

We are proud to offer our patients same-day crowns through the technology of our CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) machine. The CEREC machine works like a 3D printer and allows us to mill the crown in-office while you wait. The milled porcelain used by the CEREC machine, in addition to being more accurate, is actually far less energy-intensive than conventional lab work. It is also earth-friendly as it prevents lab material from ending up in landfills. Additionally, this technology eliminates the need for multiple appointments and saves our patients time which in turn reduces carbon emissions.

Digital Images

Our x-rays and intraoral camera capture digital images that provide superior imaging with less radiation exposure. These files are also stored electronically in our patient files saving time and reducing waste materials from traditional x-ray development. Digital x-rays also allow us to adjust the contrast of images to detect bone loss and cavities.

 Recycling and Compost Program

We also work to reduce our landfill contributions by participating in both a recycling and compost program. Many dental products need to be shipped and we strive to combine shipments and recycle to cut down on cardboard waste.

We hope these small changes add up to a large benefit for our planet. Let us know what changes you’ve made to reduce your impact or how you are celebrating Earth Day this year!

Dr. Amanda McCauley, DDS

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Take Back your Time with Cerec Crowns

What would you do with a couple extra hours in the day?  While we would love to see our patients more, we recognize how important your time is and understand you have other places to be! That’s why we’ve invested in the latest dental technology that allows us to create same day dental crowns, saving you from having to book a second appointment. Today on the blog we’re talking more about the CEREC crown technology that makes this possible.

We value your time and your comfort. Getting a crown at the dentist used to involve messy impression material, two appointments, and a temporary between those appointments that might break or fall off at the most inopportune moment. Not anymore! In our practice, we have technology to make a crown while you are sitting in the chair. This reduces your time to one single appointment with no need for a temporary!  It also eliminates the need for gooey impression material making it a thing of the past. With this new technology, our impressions are digital and made with an intraoral camera.

What is the technology and how does it work? The CEREC crown milling machine is much like a 3D printer and stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. After we prepare your tooth, we use a special camera to take a picture of this tooth, your opposing teeth, and your bite. The information from these pictures is transferred to a color display on a computer screen as a 3D virtual model. We design the restoration on this computer and then the designed crown is sent to the milling unit where it is manufactured.

cerec crown

CEREC crown milling machine

Patients are free to watch TV, read, or just relax during the manufacturing process. When the crown is ready, it tried in your mouth to ensure proper fit, and then it is bonded to over your tooth. That’s all it takes!

The material we use is tooth-colored and comes in a variety of shades to perfectly blend into your smile. For the back teeth, we use a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic which acquires a final strength of 360 MPa, making it durable while maintaining a beautiful esthetic. The front teeth have an even more esthetic all-ceramic material that displays their true to nature translucency.

If you have any questions about this process, please ask! Our office is proud to use cutting-edge technology that improves our patients’ overall experience. Patients continue to be amazed and pleased when we prove that one easy appointment is all they need!

To schedule an appointment or learn more, call our office at (425) 354-3138 or visit our website https://mccauleydentistry.com.

Dr. Amanda McCauley, DDS

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18323 98th Ave NE #2, Bothell, WA