No more gagging on dental impressions

Do you gag whenever your dentist sticks a stiff tray of goo in your mouth to take a dental impression? Crowns and bridges normally require an accurate mold of your teeth. I've never had a crown or bridge, but during my orthodontia years I had a couple of impressions done and nearly lost my cookies.

Thank goodness for new technology. The Cadent iTero allows a dentist to take an impression by swiping the inside of your mouth with a wand -- it really is magic -- to yield a three-dimensional computer image of your teeth and gums. The image electronically heads to a lab where your restorative is designed.

One dentist reported cost is the same as conventional impressions, and the manufacturer says it's quicker, too. If a crown or bridge is on your horizon, maybe you can avoid a gagging mouth of goo. The Cadent iTero was just named the Journal of Dental Technology's WOW! product of 2007, so perhaps a dentist near you will offer it soon.