The Herald-Zeitung

New Braunfels residents now have a new reason to smile.

The office of local dentist Jeffery Jones is one of only seven practices worldwide to carry a state-of-the-art system for same-day permanent dental work.

The E4D Dentist system uses computer-aided design to complete same-day dental work, Jones said.

Those interested in the procedure must schedule an initial consultation where the process is explained and questions are answered. During the actual appointment, a laser scans the patient’s mouth and takes between nine and 20 images of the area where the work will be completed, Jones said.

These 3-D images are shown on a computer next to the patient’s chair and the dentist designs the prosthetic on-screen while the patient watches.

Jones said this step offers patients better quality work because it eliminates man-made errors.

The design is transferred to the in-house milling unit down the hall where the crown, veneer or filling is made.

Metal materials are not used for fillings with this system, instead the office can choose more natural-looking materials that match the patient’s teeth shade, Jones said, adding that materials such as porcelain or acrylic typically are used to recreate the patient’s smile.

Celina Mills, Jones’ office manager, said the practice has done about 75 teeth since purchasing the machine in December, but that Jones often does several units on a patient at the same time.

And patients seem to be pleased with the results , Jones said.

“They are very grateful that they don’t have to mess with temporaries, or take off of work multiple times,” he said. “They are more involved in the process, more educated.”

Jones said these new systems are not available for all dental offices to purchase yet, but his office was chosen to purchase one of the seven systems on a trial basis.

“We were chosen because of personality, how picky the dentist is, ethical considerations,” he said.

Insurance coverage is the same because the work has the same results as traditional methods of permanent dental restoration, Jones said.

The E4D Dentist system is manufactured by D4D Technologies based in Richardson, Texas.

Jones said his staff attend continuing education classes at the Richardson facility and his office is looking into a Certified Dental Design Technician program to educate dental professions about the use of this new system.