Technology at Lanark: What It Changes in Your Care
Everything here is in the building on Lanark High Street: a CT (CBCT) scanner, an iTero intraoral scanner, MegaGen R2 guided implant surgery and IV sedation, along with digital X-rays and Airflow polishing. Rather than list specifications, we explain what each one does for you: no hospital trips for scans, less guesswork in surgery, and no mouthfuls of impression putty.
A 3D View of Your Jawbone
Ordinary X-rays give a flat image. Cone beam CT produces a 3D model of your jaw, which lets the dentist measure the bone's height and width, trace the nerve through the lower jaw and see how far the sinus dips above the upper back teeth.
- Done during your consultation on the High Street, without a hospital referral or a delay
- Dr Davinder Kalsi plans each implant and full-arch case from it before any surgery is booked
- Taken only when 3D information would alter the plan, because it involves more radiation than a small X-ray
- Each scan is £160, and dentists elsewhere can send their patients to us for a scan
Impressions, Minus the Putty
Anyone who has gagged on a tray of impression material will appreciate this. A small handheld wand glides around your teeth for a few minutes, building a full-colour 3D model on the screen as it goes.
- It produces your Invisalign simulation, showing the probable outcome before you commit
- Retainers, night guards and whitening trays are made from the same scan, so they fit snugly
- Crowns and veneers start from the digital file, so there's no physical impression to warp before it reaches the lab
- Planning a smile makeover? The scan and your photographs are the starting point for a digital smile design, so proposed changes can be explored with you before treatment
- Comparing scans from different visits reveals tooth wear or movement over time
Implants Placed Where Planned
The CT and iTero scans are merged in planning software, where Dr Kalsi sets the implant's position before surgery. That plan is 3D-printed as a guide that fits over your teeth or gum, so on the day the drill is held to the chosen angle and depth.
- Decisions are made calmly in advance rather than in the middle of surgery
- If the bone permits, a small opening in the gum can replace a larger incision, and that tends to mean less swelling
- For a full arch on our Premium Guided Zirconia pathway, fixed temporary teeth can be prepared beforehand for fitting on the day 1
- AnyRidge, the MegaGen implant used here, holds the CleanImplant Trusted Quality seal (awarded to the implant itself, not to the practice)
- Each implant is covered by a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months
Quicker X-Rays, Less Radiation
Instead of film, a compact sensor captures the image using less radiation. It's on the screen in seconds, so the dentist can go through it with you before you leave the chair.
- A smaller dose than film for an equivalent image
- Zoomed in on screen so you can see any decay or bone loss for yourself
- Shared securely with a hospital or another dentist when a referral is needed
- Where not already part of your treatment, small X-rays cost £10 and large ones £75
Air Polishing, Gentler on Teeth
A jet of warm water, air and ultra-fine powder clears plaque and stains from the tooth surface. It can be included in a hygiene visit with Fiona Dyer, our hygienist, reducing the need for scraping and leaving teeth feeling smooth.
- Kind to implants, crowns and Invisalign attachments
- Gets into the spaces between teeth where brushing doesn't reach
- Often found more comfortable than a traditional rubber-cup polish
- Airflow is £30 added to a hygiene visit, or £100 for a 30-minute appointment that includes it
Equipment helps; judgement decides.
No scanner stands in for a thorough examination or for listening to what you want. What the technology adds is measurement before decisions, and images you can see for yourself rather than having to trust our description.
See Your Scans with Us
During an implant or Invisalign consultation, you and the dentist look through your images together on screen. Coming in from Carluke, Carstairs or Biggar? Scanning and discussion happen in one visit, so there's no second trip just for results.
All of the above is on site at 72 High Street, Lanark. Align Technology, Inc. owns the Invisalign and iTero trademarks; MegaGen Implant Co., Ltd. owns MegaGen and AnyRidge.