Perhaps more so than other areas of healthcare, dentistry has come a long way in the last twenty years. The technology used has vastly improved to the extent that the field is completely different than it was before, making it an exciting time if you’re a practicing dentist or run a clinic.
In this article, you’ll learn about four particularly impressive pieces of technology that are changing the face of dentistry, and offering clinics the opportunity to provide better care than ever before.
- Dental Virtual Assistants
Front desk admin represents a big burden for your practice, and ironically, the better your practice is doing and the more popular you are, the more this burden increases due to patient volume.
Whether it’s assimilating records or scheduling consultations, it’s a lot for your admin team to manage, so why not outsource these tasks? This is what a dental virtual assistant is there for: advancements in digital communications mean that rather than having your in-house team manage these matters, you can have a dedicated remote team process admin for you. This one change can make a major difference to your working efficiency, freeing up time for your team to prioritize other pressing jobs.
- AI-Powered Diagnostics
The first types of AI-powered radiography were brought about by Canon with their state-of-the-art Aquilion line of CT scanners, but the technology has since made its way to the smaller X-ray machines and CBCT scanners used in dental offices.
Dentists can now leverage the power of AI for sharper image quality and greater accuracy in diagnosis by using deep learning algorithms that are able to detect even the smallest of abnormalities.
- 3D Printing
3D printing is perhaps the biggest advancement in dentistry of all. With this type of technology, dentists can manufacture appliances that match the patient perfectly for a whole manner of complex procedures such as forming dentures or designing orthodontic aligners.
Often combined with this technology are intra-oral scanners like iTero, which allow a person’s full dental arches to be scanned in high definition and then rendered as a 3D model.
- Teledentistry
And last but not least, there’s teledentisty. Video conferencing technology has been heavily implemented in healthcare practices across the world, and it’s making dentistry far more accessible.
The technology enables dentists to assess patients remotely without the need for an in-person visit, which is great for initial consultations and follow-ups that don’t require a full examination. They’re also excellent for discussing imaging, as the dentist can simply share their screen to show the patient what they need to talk about on the image directly.
Wrapping Up
Of course, there are many other exciting innovations within the field of dentistry, but if you’re looking for some upgrades for your practice, the above list provides the perfect place to start. Think carefully about which technologies and services would benefit you most and what novel problems you’re trying to solve, and see if there’s something new out there that can help you.
