Digital innovations are bringing immediacy, predictability, and efficiency to everyday practice. When working in a digital platform, you can instantly share patient information among staff members, transfer files to the lab, and help increase case acceptance by visually showing patients areas of diagnosis and proposed treatment. With these capabilities, digital practices are experiencing greater productivity, better communications with patients, and a more satisfied staff.
Digital Designs in Production
Incidentally, the 800-pound digital gorilla in the room can’t be ignored. Additive manufacturing technology, more commonly known as 3D printing, is making inroads in the fabrication of models, surgical guides, mouthguards, and other appliances. While 3D printing is acknowledged to be significantly more precise, it remains slower than other methods, and dentistry is still waiting for an appropriate material that can be used to create definitive fixed indirect restorations. That need may be filled sooner rather than later—the Belgian company DWS already markets Temporis, a biocompatible material cleared in the EU for the 3D printing of long-term provisional crowns and bridges.
“Temporis is currently cleared only as a long-term temporary restoration material in Europe,” said Avi Reichental, CEO of DWS partner Techniplas, “simply because we haven’t had sufficient time to complete long-term, life-cycle testing. Notwithstanding that, early indications from independent third-party tests suggest that Temporis exhibits all the desired mechanical performance for permanent restorations.” So, stay tuned.
Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, a handful of companies are offering practices easy access to additive manufacturing technology. For example, with its SolFlex 3D printers, VOCO allows dentists to combine scans with subsequent design and final 3D printing to quickly and accurately manufacture models and splints for orthodontic dentistry.
While the full range of capabilities of the digital office is still being explored, what is clear is that having the proper foundation in place is critical to ensuring the optimal functioning of the digital practice. This foundation includes patient chairs, treatment room furniture, integrated delivery systems, lights, and efficient sterilization systems, all positioned to provide easy access and enhanced usability by staff members. When technology is added, you create a seamless environment where everything works together effortlessly to improve comfort for the patient and productivity for the practice.
Advancements in Materials
It’s important to note that the evolution of technologies in dentistry is by no means limited to high-tech equipment. Research teams from numerous manufacturers around the world work daily on continuous advancements in materials (think the new generation of bioactive formulations with regenerative and protective properties), implants (think innovations in size and shape, coatings, angulation, and more), local anesthesia (pain-reducing delivery devices and rapid onset/reversal agents), and preventive strategies (think silver diamine fluoride and the medical management approach to treating incipient caries). Then there are the upgrades in infection control, such as disposable supplies and ozonated water, and nontraditional services, such as Botox and products for the management of sleep apnea, and more.
Tying It All Together
Intimately involved with advanced technology every day, patients expect to find a high-tech/high-touch environment in your practice. They will take note when a practice isn’t equipped with technology. Further, many of today’s patients will see when one piece of technology doesn’t communicate with another and feel the lack of efficiency that happens when, for example, the digital imaging system isn’t connected to the system that manages patient records.
No single technology alone is the answer to a fully functional digital practice. You can invest in today’s advanced digital radiography systems, take digital impressions, and incorporate practice management software and patient automation tools, but the key is to make it all work together seamlessly. That’s certainly the case in the office of Dr. Alan Jurim, an active lecturer on digital dentistry and practitioner in Woodbury, NY. Dr. Jurim uses a variety of systems from digital scanning to virtual surgery to 3D printing to accomplish far more than he could in the days of analog dentistry.
“In my practice, what it really means to be fully digital is more than just one element, such as intraoral scanning, photography, video, or digital manufacturing processes,” Dr. Jurim said. “What it truly means to be digital, in my mind, is the integration of how all these systems are working together—because one system alone is not the complete package. The best example of this is how we combine systems for taking high-resolution photos, intraoral scans, and 3D x-rays in the office, and then merge all of this information together into a ‘digital ecosystem.’ The systems that we use to categorize a library of this digital information are just as important as how we actually use the information when it comes to patient care and planning a case.”
As technology gets easier to implement and use, as well as more affordable in many cases, now may be the time to stop simply observing the trends and proactively address the challenges facing the profession. Many practices have found it helpful to create a dedicated equipment and technology investment account, allocating a certain percentage of production each year for meaningful technology investments. With a well-thought-out plan for technology integration, your practice will be well positioned to grow and thrive in the digital age of dentistry.
Take the first step…up your tech IQ by checking out the latest innovations spotlighted on the following pages. Then, be sure to follow up with suppliers for complete details.
