Wand Dentristry

Aside from drilling and extraction, probably the most feared part of the dental experience is the anaesthetic injection. Even though the needle is no bigger than an average one, it can put the fear of God into some people – even causing some patients to avoid the dentists altogether on the off-chance that they may need an injection. Fortunately, medical technology is always advancing and there are new products constantly being developed that can make visiting the dentist a more pleasant experience.

What is wand dentistry?

A lot of people probably aren’t aware of this revolutionary new dental technique, but for those who have feared needles in the past, it has proved life changing. The wand is a computer controlled injection system, designed to administer anaesthetic in a smooth, steady flow, rendering it fast and painless. Although the wand does the same jobs as a syringe, it doesn’t look like one at all, in fact it more closely resembles a ball-point pen – it’s even held like a pen during treatment. The hand-piece is attached to a very small needle and connected directly to the anaesthetic cartridge, which is controlled by the computer underneath.

Traditional injections can sometimes be quite uncomfortable, due in part to human error. During the injecting process, it’s up to the dentist to control the speed at which the anaesthetic enters the tissue, obviously, it’s very difficult to get this perfect every time and the result is often an unpleasant stinging sensation flowing through the gums. The wand is completely controlled by a computer system, making sure that the speed and flow of the solution is faultless time after time.

Is it good?

Studies have shown that needles are the chief cause of anxiety among dental patients, causing panic at just the sight of them, but wands are much more discreet and less intimidating. More often than not, it’s the psychological fears that people are giving into, rather than any actual pain they may endure; this is why the wand is so effective in surgeries today. The device is not shaped like a needle and, most of the time, patients don’t even notice it when they enter the office, let alone fear it when the time comes for an injection.

As far as pain goes, the wand relies entirely on a computer automated system that controls the rate and pressure of flow precisely – not something that can be said for every dentist. Patients have reported feeling no discomfort at all with use of the wand, even in areas of the mouth where there is only a thin layer of tissue over the bone, such as the palate.

It’s not just the patients that are raving about the wand, dentists are much happier with a light-weight, easy to handle tool that allows them to concentrate more on the impending surgery than the anaesthetic injection. Dentists are likely to perform better if they can rely on a carefully controlled computer program to get it right every time, and if they have a patient who isn’t too nervous to get in the chair to begin with!

Are there any drawbacks?

No system is one hundred percent perfect, and the wand does have its disadvantages, although they are generally outweighed by the painless injections and comfortable surgery it provides.

The wand and the computer program that controls it are more expensive than traditional methods; this means more investment from the surgery and in turn this can push the price of treatment up. Also, the system has several disposable parts that need replacing after use with a patient; the cartridge holder, tube, and hand piece are all one use only. This can significantly increase the outgoings for the clinic, replacements can be costly. Further problems for the dentist can come from housing the machine in a convenient manner; the computer tower and all disposable additions take up more space in the surgery than traditional equipment.

The only other downside to the wand is that because it is new to the industry, there aren’t many places that can offer it – some dentists even decline its use because they are highly skilled at giving injections freehand. It takes a certain amount of training to become proficient with new technology, and until a large number of surgeons find the time or money to learn how to use the product, the wand won’t be widely available at your local surgery for a while yet. However, if you are in need of medical attention and you’re really afraid of needles, give the Pearl Dental Clinic a call, this London surgery offers painless injections as standard, as well as numerous other modern dental techniques that you might not find elsewhere.

How is it used?

The computer is connected to a foot pedal, which is used to activate the system; all the dentist has to do is press the pedal down when they want to administer the anaesthetic. After that, it’s just a case of holding the wand in the right position.

The latest design has two modes to allow the dentist a little more control over the speed of delivery, depending on how big the treatment area is. There is also a STA mode – Single Tooth Anaesthesia – which requires a different needle. The machine beeps to let the dentist know when they have correctly placed the needle, and uses its voice to indicate which mode the computer is currently operating in.

Not only is the system designed to make the injection almost painless, but is also makes treatment much easier for the dentist too, administering the right pressure and amount every time.