Have you been putting off having that cavity filled because you hate needles? Well the Wand STA may be just what the doctor (or dentist) ordered.
What is it?
The Wand STA – Single Tooth Anesthesia System® is essentially a computer-controlled dental injection. The STA system releases a precise amount of anesthesia throughout the dental procedure to significantly reduce any discomfort from either the injections or the actual work being done. Only the area worked on is numbed.
As you can see in the photo below, the “hardware” looks similar to a “miniature computer tower.”
On the top of the little tower sits a cartridge with local anesthetic. A tube connects this to a pen-like hand piece. The hand piece does have a needle but it is very tiny. The STA needle does not even look like a syringe, the tiny needle is significantly smaller than traditional dental needles (it looks like a wand or pen with a small needle at the end) and eliminates the typical numbness and often embarrassing drooling that patients normally experience after a trip to the dentist. To start the computer, the dentist uses a foot pedal connected to the computer tower. The computer does the rest.
The hand piece device looks just like a ball point pen.
The Wand STA system has many advantages over a standard syringe and many patients will find this system very beneficial. A busy professional can now have a cavity filled at 10:00 a.m. and attend a business meeting at noon without the facial numbing that can cause slurred speech and drooling. Spray is used to numb the gum, then small, slowly released doses of anesthesia are administered. Limited doses of anesthesia also reduce liver toxicity which is an added benefit of using the Wand STA.
Most patients feel very little pressure and report greater comfort and reduced anxiety. The system is especially useful for pediatric patients.
Approximately 10% of patients may require traditional or additional anesthesia.
Image sources and descriptions: http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/help/technology/wand/
JUN