Andrew Simpson, DDS, Comprehensive Family Dentist

South Shreveport Dental is taking their patient care to the next level with the recent addition of a 3D imaging analysis machine to provide more accurate and clear treatment plans. Located at 9220 Ellerbe Road, Dr. Andrew Simpson and his team of dedicated professionals are committed to providing quality customer service and comprehensive dental care to each of their patients, and the addition of the imaging machine only expands South Shreveport Dental’s list of services.

“We cater to all dental needs with a focus on education and prevention,” said Simpson. “We have invested in the most advanced technology offered in dentistry today. We provide 3D cone beam imaging analysis and are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art operatories. Our services include a fully digital and paperless office, dental implants, oral surgery, root canal therapy, gum disease therapies, Invisalign, esthetics, white fillings, single visit crown and bridge restorations, partial denture and full dentures including those retained by dental implants, TMJ therapy, sedation dentistry, advanced technology and imaging, oral cancer screening, medical screening and close consultation with your primary care physician to improve and optimize your treatment.”

The new imaging machine is eliminating some of the more uncomfortable processes of a visit to the dentist, while providing the staff with a more definite picture that clears up any uncertainties.

“We are now able to take 3D optical impressions to replace those gooey impressions,” said Simpson. “With advanced imaging, the guesswork is gone. For the first time, we are able to truly see. We no longer have to interpret images and hope our interpretation is accurate, we can diagnose pathological changes within the bony anatomy of the head and neck with certainty and confidence. Patients can now see themselves on the screen and quickly see the difference. Seeing is believing!” Simpson believes in keeping up with the waves of new technology, as it better serves the patients by keeping their health at the forefront of progressive dental care. He said that the new imaging machine not only allows both patient and doctor to see a clear picture of the image captured, but it also has the ability to detect potentially life-threatening issues.

“This technology truly removes the surprises giving us all the information we could ever need before treatment,” he said. “This allows the patient to know the length of treatment, expectations of treatment outcomes, and all associated costs of treatment from the very first appointment.”

“Our mission is to offer our patients the highest standard of quality dental health care available, in the most caring and efficient manner. We continually advance our knowledge and expertise in all areas of dentistry to ensure the highest standard of care.”

South Shreveport Dental is making the process of crowns a lot easier for patients with revolutionary technology called the CEREC by Sirona.

The CEREC is a 3D intraoral camera that sends a live color video feed to a computer where data is saved and transformed into a virtual crown making a single visit crown possible for patients.

“A single visit crown is a full coverage restoration that is made in the office while you wait,” Dr. Andrew Simpson of South Shreveport Dental said.

“Traditionally, crowns are prepared in two visits. The first visit includes a round of anesthesia, preparation of the tooth to be restored, and a wet impression which notoriously doesn’t happen to taste like grandma’s famous pecan pie. In fact, the material is made of a polyvinyl siloxane, not an ingredient you’d find in your pantry, more comparable to a Goodyear tire. From there, a plastic temporary is fabricated and is left on with temporary cement for two to three weeks. After losing your temporary a couple times and subsequent sensitivity from the underlying tooth structure, frustration settles in. In the meantime, the impression is sent to a lab where your crown is being made. The second visit includes another round of anesthesia at times, a try-in of the crown, and adjustments. Rarely, the crown will be returned for major adjustment.”

New technology provided by the CEREC gives patients instant gratification integrating with Sirona Galileos 3D cone beam CT technology allowing the doctor and patient to see what is possible, giving the patient realistic expectations.

“With CEREC, I can scan a missing tooth space and design the ideal crown then tell it what implant I will be using. From there, I save this as a file and send it to the Galileos software where it stitches that plan over the missing space and I can virtually see the crown and implant overlaid in 3D space within the jawbone to see if the ideal placement is possible,” Simpson said.

“If not, we simply plan to place bone grafts around the implant to get the implant where we need it for the crown (the whole reason for the procedure) and not the other way around.”

Hundreds of doctors are utilizing CEREC across the country, but very few have taken the leap to integrate 3D imaging like South Shreveport Dental.

“Within 5-10 years, I believe this will be the standard of care,” he said.

The CEREC simplifies the process of creating a crown. Simpson adds that no temporary or impression is required for single crown visits.

A “digital impression” eliminates the traditional gooey impression, and is more accurate since there is no distortion from impression materials. This allows a better fit and less adjustments or remakes, which also saves time. After the digital impression is taken by the small camera in 1-2 minutes, the doctor reviews and sometimes modifies the proposed design.

The computer uses thousands of algorithms and an anatomical database to propose the design.

CEREC is not limited to crowns. We can do partial crowns such as onlays and inlays (conserving healthy tooth structure), veneers, implant abutments (porcelain connecting an implant to an implant crown), and implant crowns.

South Shreveport Dental also offers an industry leading $99 new patient visit for a complete exam with imaging as well as a free limited exam and X-ray for emergency toothache appointments.

“We often utilize this technology from your very first visit. Please come by and let our family of experts show your family how we’re changing everything from comfort to treatment outcomes. We pay attention to every detail of your experience because we know you have many options out there. We will always strive through education, training, technology and personable care to be the best we can be. We are all excited to be utilizing such advanced technology and every day we see the benefits.

Team morale is at an all time high and we are so excited to come to work each day and do things the right way with the best techniques, materials, methods and technology on the market. We truly believe that.”

9220 Ellerbe Road Ste. 100 | Shreveport, LA 71106 | 318-868-0830 | Fax: 318-868-7260 | www.SouthShreveportDental.com