Dental technology in Courtenay, BC

What it does

The software analyses your X-ray and marks areas that may deserve a closer look: early decay between teeth where it is hardest to see, changes in bone level around the roots, and other findings that can be subtle on a small image. Those markings appear on screen next to the original X-ray while your dentist reviews it.

• Reviews every X-ray, every time, without fatigue
• Flags early interproximal decay and bone level changes
• Findings shown alongside the original image
• Helps make the review consistent from visit to visit

What it does not do

The AI does not diagnose, and it does not decide anything about your treatment. It has no authority over your care. Dr. Sharma reviews every X-ray herself, weighs what the software flagged against your symptoms and clinical exam, and makes the call. Software can flag something that turns out to be nothing, and it can miss things a trained clinician catches. That is exactly why a dentist reads every image.

• Does not diagnose or recommend treatment
• Does not replace your dentist's examination
• Every image is reviewed by a dentist regardless

What it means for you

The practical benefit is earlier conversations. Decay caught while it is still small is usually treated with a simple filling rather than a crown or a root canal later on. Bone changes noticed early can be addressed with hygiene therapy before they progress. Nothing about your appointment changes, and there is no added cost.

• Supports catching problems while they are small
• Clearer explanations, since you can see what we see
• No extra radiation, no extra appointment time
• No separate charge to you or your insurance

Your privacy

Your dental records, including X-ray images, are handled in accordance with British Columbia privacy legislation and the standards of the BC College of Oral Health Professionals. If you would like to know more about how your information is stored, or you would prefer your images not be processed this way, tell us. Call 250-338-2599 or mention it at your appointment and we will accommodate you.

Digital X-ray sensors

Digital sensors replaced film in our practice years ago. They require a significantly lower radiation dose than traditional film, and the image appears on screen in seconds rather than needing to be developed. We can enlarge it, adjust the contrast, and turn the monitor toward you so you can see what we are talking about instead of taking our word for it.

• Lower radiation dose than film X-rays
• Image available in seconds
• Can be enlarged and adjusted for clarity
• Easy to show you on screen and compare year to year

Digital intraoral scanner

A small camera wand traces the surfaces of your teeth and builds an accurate 3D model in a few minutes. It replaces the tray of putty impression material that many people remember unfondly, so there is no gagging and no waiting for material to set. The scan is used for crowns, bridges, night guards, and whitening trays, and it can go straight to the lab or to our own 3D printer.

• No putty impression trays
• Takes a few minutes and can be paused at any point
• Accurate 3D model you can see on screen
• Sent digitally, so nothing is lost in transit

VELscope oral cancer screening

VELscope is a handheld device that uses blue light fluorescence to help reveal changes in the soft tissue of your mouth that can be difficult to see under ordinary light. The screening takes under five minutes, involves no dye, no discomfort, and no recovery. It is included in every comprehensive new patient exam. Oral cancer is far more treatable when it is found early, which is the entire reason we screen.

• Non-invasive and takes under five minutes
• No dye, no discomfort
• Included in every comprehensive new patient exam
• Supports early detection of tissue changes

Seeing what we see

A recurring theme in all of this: we would rather show you than tell you. Intraoral images, X-rays with AI annotations, and 3D scans all go up on the screen during your visit. If you have ever left a dental appointment unsure why a treatment was recommended, that is the gap we are trying to close.

In-house 3D dental printer

We print on site rather than shipping everything to an outside lab and waiting. Models, surgical guides, night guards, and temporary restorations can be produced here, often in the same day. For you, that means fewer appointments for some treatments and less time spent in a temporary while a lab works through its queue.

• Models, guides, night guards, and temporaries printed on site
• Shorter turnaround than outside lab work
• Fewer appointments for some treatments
• Adjustments and reprints handled in-house

Clinic-wide air purification

Our air purification system runs throughout the clinic, not just in individual operatories. It filters aerosols produced during routine dental procedures, which matters for patients, and matters just as much for the team who are here all day. It is one of those things you will never notice, which is rather the point.

• Runs clinic-wide, not per-room
• Filters procedural aerosols continuously
• Quiet enough that you will not notice it

Fully paperless office

Charts, X-rays, treatment plans, and consent forms are all digital. Your history is available instantly at chairside, records transfer cleanly if you move or need a specialist referral, and there is no filing cabinet holding the only copy of anything. Forms can be completed before you arrive so your first visit starts on time.

• Complete history available instantly at chairside
• Clean, fast transfers to specialists or a new dentist
• Forms completed before you arrive

Mercury-free and BPA-free since 1996

Not technology in the gadget sense, but worth stating plainly: we have used mercury-free and BPA-free filling materials since the practice opened in 1996. Tooth-coloured composite bonds directly to the tooth, which allows a more conservative preparation and preserves more of your natural tooth structure than amalgam required.