Panorex Imaging Technology

An integral part of any routine dental exam is the dental x-ray or imaging study to view the teeth, gums and tooth roots to identify any structural abnormalities or cavities. While traditional x-rays show a part of your dental health, Drs. Louis H. Cadena and Dr. Valerie Cadena-Vargas utilizes a special imaging tool that tells more of the whole story: the Panorex imaging unit.

When you have an imaging scan with the Panorex camera, you will place your chin on a plastic, shelf-like surface. The Panorex machine will rotate around you in 360-degree fashion, capturing images quickly and quietly. The system then transmits the images to a computer where they are viewed digitally. This reduces the need for extra films and minimizes the level of radiation exposure. The entire imaging process takes roughly 20 seconds to perform.

The resulting image gives Dr. Cadena, Dr. Cadena-Vargas and their team at Cadena Dentistry a complete view of your overall dental structures. They are able to zoom in or adjust the contrast of these images for improved viewing. This gives your dentist the ability to pinpoint infections, cavities and structural issues that may affect your dental health.

Advanced technologies like the Panorex camera are just one of the many ways Drs. Cadena and Cadena-Vargas ensure their Del Rio ,TX patients’ dental health.

STA: Single Tooth Anesthesia

Cadena Dentistry utilizes several dental technologies that improve office visits for Del Rio, TX patients.  Single tooth anesthesia or STA is a dental anesthesia innovation that makes dental injections virtually painless.  It has been named to Dentistry Today’s Top 100 Products list and the Medical Design Excellence Award Winner.  Our dentists, Drs. Louis Cadena and Valeria Cadena-Vargas want their patients to learn more about STA and how it can improve their overall dental care experience

Dental injections to numb the nerves around a tooth are a significant source of dental anxiety or phobia among patients. Our team aims to reduce dental anxiety with the single tooth anesthesia technology. The STA is a small instrument that closely resembles a pen. The anesthetic delivery system is computer-controlled. The STA uses computer sensors to detect pressure. This gives your dentist the ability to adjust to just the right pressure to apply to insert a needle into the gum for numbing.

In addition to the adjustability of the pressure, the dentist can also change the flow rate of the anesthetic medication into the gum. This allows him to determine the appropriate amount of anesthetic that will fully numb your tooth without unnecessarily numbing surrounding teeth, which can increase recovery time. This means you can return to work or school without the dreaded lip numbness, plus your tooth will be repaired and healthy.

When it comes to numbing your tooth and successfully treating a decaying, injured or otherwise damaged tooth, Dr. Cadena and Dr. Cadena-Vargas aim to deliver the most precise injection possible. Thanks to STA dental technology at their Del Rio, TX dentist office, they can accomplish just this.

For more information on single tooth anesthesia or STA at Cadena Dentistry in Del Rio, TX call 732-495-4444. To learn more about the numerous technological advancements they offer, visit www.cadenadentistry.com.

Scaling and Root Planing

Dr. Louis H. Cadena and Dr. Valerie Cadena-Vargas of Cadena Dentistry strive to help all their patients in Del Rio, TX maintain optimal oral health and retain all their natural teeth. One of the ways they accomplish this is by treating gum disease and restoring periodontal health with scaling and root planing, which has proven to be an effective and non-invasive way to treat early periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, and is associated with many chronic diseases, so periodontal health is something our dentists take seriously. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums that starts when a build-up of plaque on patients’ teeth hardens into tartar and creates a suitable environment for bacteria to collect and attack the surrounding gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis, and periodontis can destroy gum tissue, lead to tooth loss and even result in a loss of bone mass in the jawbone. Heart disease, diabetes and stroke have been linked to poor periodontal health.

Scaling and root planing is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it develops into more serious periodontal disease. The procedure allows Dr. Cadena and Dr. Cadena-Vargas to clean between the gums and teeth all the way down to the roots in order to smooth the root structure and remove the tartar that is causing the inflammation.

The procedure is an incredibly effective and can stop the progression gum disease before it irreversibly damages patients’ teeth. Patients who have been diagnosed with gum disease or that have red, swollen or bleeding gums should schedule an appointment with Dr. Louis H. Cadena or Dr. Valerie Cadena-Vargas of Cadena Dentistry by calling 830-775-3322. For more information about the Del Rio, TX dentists and their services, please visit www.cadenadentistry.com.

DentalVibe

Fear of the dentist encompasses more than just the seeing the “white coat” or the thought of being “trapped” in a dentist's chair for several hours. Many people avoid receiving necessary dental work because of the pain associated with an injection of anesthetics into the gums. To help ease pain as well as patient anxiety, Dr. Louis H. Cadena and Dr. Valerie Cadena Vargas now offer the DentalVibe Painless Injection System to eliminate the pain of a numbing injection. This technology works by sending gentle pulsations into the gum tissue where nerve endings sensing these soothing vibrations transmit chemical messages to the brain that tells the brain to inhibit the opening of the “pain gate” responsible for the discomfort of an intraoral tissue injection.

The Dental Vibe device resembles an electric toothbrush in appearance and is equipped with two prongs and a light. Between the prongs is a small area which delivers the numbing agent into the gums. Your dentist here at Cadena Dentistry will inform you when they are getting ready to inject the anesthetic before gently pressing the vibrating prongs against the tissues involved in the dental treatment. This vibration tricks the brain into paying more attention to the vibrations emitted from the DentalVibe device than any discomfort caused by an oral needle.

In addition to helping patients overcome their fear of the dentist, DentalVibe also provides greater reduction of pain for extensive dental treatments involving more than a cavity filling. Moreover, patients anticipating a pain-free dental experience because of Dental Vibe's ability to numb their mouth without inflicting pain are more apt to seek the dental treatments they need to prevent tooth loss, gum disease or periodontitis from severely compromising their oral health.

For more information about the DentalVibe Painless Injection System, visit www.cadenadentistry.com or call 830-775-3322 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Louis H. Cadena or Dr. Valerie Cadena-Vargas at Cadena Dentistry in Del Rio, TX.