Technology is hot on the minds of today's clinicians and dental practice owners. But for those who haven’t yet taken the jump into the digital world, or who may have only gotten their feet wet, it can be a challenge pinpointing a place to start. While dental technology may offer everything from streamlined processes to greater predictability of treatment, cost is often the first factor that keeps clinicians rooted in their more conventional ways. Another factor is a fear of the unknown—or that they won’t understand how to use technology even if they owned it.
These roadblocks to technology, among others, are what the 2018 Dental Technology Census hopes to tear down. Through a partnership with
Inquantive Research, an information services company, Dental Product Shopper will take a snapshot of the current dental technology landscape and discover what makes North American dentists tick when it comes to adoption ofclinical and business technologies. The goal is to answer the questions: What technologies are dentists using in their practices, how quickly are they adopting, and what is the projected impact?
Staying Ahead of the Curve
The digital marketplace is rapidly developing, and it might be easy to imagine yourself as already behind the technology curve. But according to Dr. Marty Jablow, it’s not a matter of whether clinicians should or shouldn’t care about the current technology landscape—because they’re in it. The real issue is how technology is going to influence patient care and office efficiency.
“The reality is that everybody’s different in this technology game in terms of what they want,” said Dr. Jablow. “It’s important to talk about the future of dental technology and our voice in it. This survey is a chance to pledge your voice to what the future of dentistry will be and find out where you want to be on the curve of technology.”
Three years ago, Inquantive Research conducted a similar survey that offered invaluable insight into technology product adoption. Nearly 4,000 clinicians responded, sharing the types of products they used, how it impacted their practices, and their expectations for further investment. But a lot can change in 3 years, and the 2018 Dental Technology Census seeks to provide a window into current technology trends—data that will help clinicians make smarter decisions about purchasing products that could benefit their practice.
“Take a look at your practice today and ask yourself if you’re maximizing the technology that you already have in your office,” said Dr. Jablow, indicating that there might be ways clinicians can do more with the technology they already have. “The results of this survey will help you to find out how you can better implement the technologies you own, find out where the growth opportunities are, and then acquire the digital tools that are most beneficial to you and will help grow your practice.”
Better Patient Care
Perhaps the most important way that technology benefits the practice is through better patient care. According to Dr. Ron Kaminer, patients appreciate technology nearly as much as clinicians do, and whether it’s true or not, they often perceive a technologically advanced dentist to be better skilled. “There is so much technology today that makes us better practitioners—from the diagnostic side to the restorative side—that can just totally change the way we deliver care to our patients. And the ones who will benefit from all of this are our patients,” he shared.
Tools like intraoral cameras and caries detection devices can uncover problems much sooner than conventional methods would allow and lead to more minimally invasive treatment and faster recovery. Meanwhile, CAD/CAM and digital impression systems allow for that treatment to be realized more quickly, often through same-day dentistry.
Dr. Kaminer noted that dentistry needs new technological innovations to boost diagnostic capabilities. “If we look at our medical colleagues, very often the first new technology we see is in the ability to diagnose. Dentistry has that same need. We need the ability to diagnose problems and needs right from the early onset so everything can be done in a minimally invasive fashion.” Visit https://www.technologycensus.com/ to let your voice be heard and be entered to win $12,000 in cash prizes!
