Technology & Comforts

TMJ Therapy

The TMJ, or temporomandibular joint, is an often overlooked but very important part of your oral health. It’s the name for the joint that enables your jaw to move in all directions, giving you the ability to eat, speak, laugh, and yawn. Like other joints in the body, it can sometimes develop problems due to strain, stress, injury, or arthritis, which can lead to a stiff, painful jaw and even chronic headaches! At Smile by Design of Virginia Beach, we’re able to diagnose and treat these kinds of issues right in our office, helping our patients get the care they need without having to visit an outside specialist.

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Sleep Apnea Therapy

Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects over 20 million Americans each and every night, causing people to constantly feel exhausted no matter how much they sleep. If you believe that you might be dealing with sleep apnea, or if you already have a diagnosis, our dentists can help you start getting the rest you deserve using a small, custom-made oral appliance you’ll only need to wear to bed. This treatment is reliable, comfortable, and supported by years of research, and it may be exactly what you need to start feeling great in the morning again.

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Oral Conscious Sedation

Does going to the dentist make you feel a bit anxious or even terrified? If so, we can help those nerves quickly go away with oral conscious sedation. For this, we’ll simply prescribe you a pill to take about an hour before your appointment, so by the time you actually sit in the treatment chair, you’ll already be deeply mentally and physically relaxed. You’ll remain awake for the entire visit, but time will seem to fly by very quickly, and you’ll likely not be able to remember any of it afterward (which is perfect for some of our patients!).

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Intraoral Camera

Our Softdent Imaging/Dexis intraoral cameras will literally give you a whole new perspective on your smile! These small, pen-sized cameras fit comfortably in the mouth and can capture high-resolution images of the teeth and gums we can instantly show you on a nearby monitor. They’ll make it much easier for you to understand what your dentist is talking about, helping you make more informed and confident decisions about your dental care.

Digital X-Rays

Digital X-rays are not only great for our team and our patients but the environment as well. Compared to traditional, film-based X-rays, they can create images in much less time, they don’t require toxic darkroom chemicals to be developed, and they even emit up to 80% less radiation! Plus, because the images are completely digital, we can rotate, blow up, and even color code them so patients can go over them with their dentist and easily understand what they are seeing.

Digital Impression System

We use dental impressions to help us design a wide array of treatments, ranging from crowns to Invisalign to porcelain veneers and beyond. In the past, a patient would have to bite down into messy and odd-tasting dental putty to create a physical model of their teeth, but now, that process has been completely digitized. Using our 3m digital impression system, we only need to scan the mouth with a small sensor to generate a highly-detailed 3D image of the bite. This process is not only faster and more comfortable than the traditional one, but it also yields a better quality impression as well!

Soft Tissue Laser

Thanks to our Odyssey soft tissue laser, now even the most sensitive periodontal (gum-focused) procedures can be performed quickly, precisely, and while keeping a patient completely comfortable. The laser’s highly concentrated beam of light is able to vaporize bacteria hidden deep below the gum line, plus it can painlessly remove infected tissue without affecting the surrounding healthy gums. This helps drastically reduce any post-treatment bleeding, swelling, and pain. In fact, most patients don’t even need local anesthetic during a laser procedure to stay relaxed!