Technology

Jason L. Downey, DDS, combines artistry with the latest dental technology to provide care of the most exacting standard to our patients. At our Las Vegas practice, near Spring Valley, Nevada, TMJ disorder, preventive, and diagnostic treatments are all performed using the latest, most advanced technology to make your appointments as effective and comfortable as possible.

CEREC®

For convenience and efficiency, Dr. Downey offers CEREC® technology to speed up the process of receiving a dental restoration.

With this computer-based technology, he can take digital impressions of your teeth, create a restoration customized to your needs, and send it to an in-office milling machine. Once completed, the ceramic restoration receives a few finishing touches and is then immediately placed.

Your restoration process can be completed in a single visit!

3D Cone Beam System

As part of our diagnostic process, we incorporate the thorough scanning power of the 3D cone beam system.

As a variation on traditional CT scans, this technology allows our team to take a series of images and create a precise model of the head and neck. With this information, we can diagnose conditions more accurately and recommend a more comprehensive treatment plan.

This scanning system is particularly useful for those who need treatment for sleep apnea, TMJ disorder, and missing teeth.

TMJ Disorder Treatment

Neglecting a jaw disorder can put undue pressure on other areas of the face, leading to facial and head pain. Headaches and facial pain are often caused by excess stress on the joints of the lower jaw, or temporomandibular joints (TMJ).

The tooth grinding and jaw clenching motions, which often contribute to TMJ disorders, can have serious long-term effects, such as difficulty opening and closing the mouth and painful headaches. At our Las Vegas practice, we treat TMJ disorder using either the NTI-tss device or traditional bite splints.

NTI-tss

The NTI-tss device is a small, clear mouthpiece you wear while sleeping. If you suffer from migraines, you may be able to reduce your headaches by 77 percent or more by simply snapping the NTI-tss over your front teeth before bed. It works by reducing muscle strain on the jaw joints and relaxing the entire facial area, in many cases reducing or eliminating migraine and tension headache problems.

Bite Splints

We offer traditional bite splints, which are also worn over the teeth at night, to help prevent some of the causes of TMJ disorder, such as clenching and grinding. Wearing a bite splint can protect your teeth and provide relief to your TMJ. We provide these bite splints to give your TMJ a chance to heal while protecting your oral health.

Preventive Care

At Jason L. Downey, DDS, we focus on the prevention of dental problems by offering technologies that aid in early diagnosis and treatment of gum disease and cavities.

Periodontal Disease Diagnosis

Eighty-five percent of the adults in the United States suffer from some degree of periodontal (gum) disease, an infectious condition involving the gums and bone. Periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss among American adults, and increasing evidence links periodontal disease to heart disease.

An exam by an experienced dental professional such as Dr. Downey can reveal whether you’re experiencing or at risk for periodontitis. It’s possible to have periodontal disease without experiencing any warning signs whatsoever, which is why completing a screening is so important to your health.

Arestin® — Gum Disease Treatment

Fighting periodontal disease is a serious matter. At Jason L. Downey, DDS, we use Arestin® as an additional weapon against gum disease. Arestin® is an FDA-approved powder-like medication that contains microspheres of the antibiotic minocycline.

It’s placed inside the infected periodontal pockets and is then gradually released, fighting off the infection. With Arestin®, the antibiotic is placed only where it’s needed — unlike an orally administered antibiotic that could affect your whole body. Using Arestin® also means that a second visit just for the antibiotic procedure isn’t necessary.

Dr. Downey is experienced in the use of Arestin® to fight gum disease and is an Arestin® Certified Expert (ACE), having completed comprehensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease.

Arestin® is a safe and effective addition to the war against gum disease, and we are proud to offer it as another example of our concern for our patients’ dental needs, their overall health, and their schedules.

DIAGNOdent® for Early Decay Detection

It’s best to detect cavities in their earliest stages — and now it’s possible to do so even before the cavities can be seen with x-rays. We use a tool called the DIAGNOdent®, a pen-sized instrument that shines a harmless laser beam on the tooth. It measures the reflected fluorescence: a healthy tooth gives off little or no fluorescence, and a cavity gives off increased fluorescence.

The sooner that your cavity is found, the less invasive treatment you’ll need. DIAGNOdent® helps us offer early detection to help you avoid more lengthy and difficult procedures later.

Digital Radiography (X-Rays)

We are proud to offer digital x-rays to our patients. Digital x-rays produce 90 percent less radiation than traditional x-rays. Unlike x-ray films that had to be developed in a darkroom, digital x-rays are made with a small electronic sensor that takes pictures of teeth.

These pictures can be enlarged without distortion, making the diagnosis of your dental problems easier and more certain. The pictures can also be transmitted instantly onto a video monitor next to your treatment chair, so you can see exactly what the dentist is describing.

Using digital x-rays also makes implant procedures, root canal therapy, and TMJ disorder diagnosis much quicker and even safer than ever before!

Integrated Computers

At Jason L. Downey, DDS, we’ve been using computers to streamline all of our procedures and integrate our state-of-the-art dental technologies since 1983. Today, we’re using the KODAK PRACTICEWORKS integrated system at every chair. It enables us to have an electronic chart that tracks your history, diagnosis, and treatment, and it provides many other features that make your time with us the best that it can be. Our commitment to your dental health demands nothing less.

Come to the Practice Where Artistry and Technology Meet!

Schedule an appointment at our family dentistry practice where we serve Southwest Las Vegas and Spring Valley, Nevada. Whether you are suffering from an oral condition or it’s simply time for your next check-up, we have the advanced technology to help make your visit comfortable and efficient!