Our Technology

Did you ever have what might be reasonably described as an old-fashioned dental X-ray? This would have required your dentist or hygienist to push a cardboard bite wing into your mouth, position it at an uncomfortable and awkward angle and then dash out to snap the X-ray all while hoping you could hold the bite wing in place. Fortunately, that process is at an end and digital X-ray systems are the norm.

Our patients can now enjoy the use of small sensors comfortably placed in their mouth, and moved only slightly to get the right angle. Digital X-ray systems are also our preferred method because they instantly project the images on the display in the treatment room, and all of this occurs while reducing radiation exposure by 90% over the old-fashioned methods.

While it might surprise you to learn that dentists have been using lasers for more than two decades, you might even be more amazed to learn how advanced lasers have become. In our office, patients can be treated with both soft and hard tissue lasers that can provide some of the most precise and painless treatments imaginable.

Used for the teeth or jaw bone, they can also be put to use to reshape gum tissue, address tooth decay and perform different periodontal treatments. Oral surgeries and biopsies are made easier using laser dentistry and soft and hard tissue laser treatments are always known to be a bit more conservative and less invasive, while also preserving the health of your teeth and gums.

How do we find dental decay when we examine your teeth and gums? We do so in many different ways. We do a visual exam and ask if you have sensitivity in areas where we suspect decay. We do X-rays to look for unmistakable proof of decay, and we also use intraoral cameras to get into those hard to see spots.

However, we also make use of an amazing device known as the DIAGNOdent laser device. This is a system that can find the earliest possible signs of dental decay. It can detect even the tiniest lesions or caries (bits of decayed tooth and bone), allowing our dental team to best preserve the most tooth material possible. Dentists know that caries are famous for playing “hide and seek”, remaining hidden until decay has really set in. The DIAGNOdent system is 90% accurate in finding the tiniest caries and enables superior treatment.

Have you ever had classic impressions made of your teeth? If so, you know it involves your dental provider to press a tray full of very gummy material over the upper or lower arch and then waiting for it to harden before tugging it away. Though reasonably accurate, it is nowhere near as flawless and simple as 3D imaging and the digital impressions it creates.

This is why our office uses equipment like CT Cone Beam scans that create three-dimensional images of your jaws, gums, nerves and teeth. A simple device is held comfortably in your mouth, and it takes a fast and accurate scan with thousands of points of reference and data. This is then converted into a flawless, 3D image of your mouth, jaws and all of the tissue of the maxillofacial area. With such pinpoint accurate images, we can do everything from new crowns and implants to oral surgery like never before.

Oral cancer screenings are a very important part of the dental visit for the patient. With the advances in modern technology, we are now able to pinpoint the start of a potential problem much earlier in its evolution. The ability to do so is extremely important in being able to treat any issues prior to them becoming a major irreversible problem.

The oral cancer screening is often completed with an ultraviolet light or similar device that allows us to view issues that can't always be detected by the human eye under normal conditions.

Certain lifestyle choices can have a great impact on the health of tissues and your overall health in the mouth. If you are a smoker or heavy drinker, make sure to get regular screenings when you visit the dentist.

For a complete picture of your teeth and jawbone, our dentist offers panoramic X-rays in Dacula, Georgia. Dr. Elena Kurz and her team know how important it is to get a complete picture of your mouth. Ask about panoramic X-rays on your next check-up at Kurz Family and Cosmetic Dentistry .

In order to provide you with the best possible dental care, it is essential that our dentist is able to accurately evaluate and diagnose your oral health. One of the state-of-the-art tools we use to do that is panoramic X-rays. While standard X-rays, called bitewing X-rays, provide us with a view of a few teeth and the supporting bone structure, panoramic X-rays allow us to view the full upper and lower dental arches – including all of the teeth, upper and lower jawbones, and the surrounding facial structures.

Using panoramic X-rays, our dentist is able to:

• Assess the need for orthodontics and evaluate the progress of treatment
• Analyze the development of periodontal disease
• Evaluate the TMJ (jaw joint) and diagnose a TMJ disorder
• Detect oral cancer
• Plan dental implant placement
• Diagnose cavities (tooth decay) and other dental problems
• Evaluate the extent of dental and/or facial trauma
• Detect abscesses, cysts, and tumors

Using the panoramic X-ray machine is fast and comfortable. The machine simply rotates around your head and provides our dentist with high-definition, nearly instantaneous images that we can then use to evaluate your oral health. We invite you to call or visit us today to learn more about panoramic X-rays.

Endodontics, more commonly known as root canal, is a procedure where the roots or nerves of the tooth are removed. This is often due to the fact that they are infected and the tooth is causing pain.

Rotary Endodontics is a way of performing the root canal utilizing a specific electrical handpiece. This tool often makes the process faster and allows Kurz Family and Cosmetic Dentistry a way to perform the process with greater ease.