The journey towards digitization is an irreversible trend across domains, and dentistry is no exception. As technology develops at a relentless pace, digital dentistry is expected to become more efficient, convenient, and user-friendly. Dental professionals, in the near future, are going to work in smarter ways, address several challenges, and deliver better patient experiences. In this blog, we discuss the top trends in dentistry that can define the digital future of tomorrow.
Top trends defining the digital future in dentistry
The evolution of technology and its application across fields is an ongoing process, which can be delayed but not stopped. Dentistry is one such domain, which has been quick to embrace technology. Think of the x-ray technology or implants embedded in the tooth sockets of patients. With most things going digital, the world of dentistry too has been influenced. Think of digital scanners and other advanced devices to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. The application of these devices has streamlined and enhanced the dental processes followed at dental clinics. The top trends in digital technology influencing the future are mentioned below:
New skills:
Dental professionals, in addition to honing their skills in diagnosis and treatment, need to learn about handling new devices such as a digital impression system. Even as the artistic part in implementing dental restorations will be left untouched, the process or workflow will be altered. Dentists have to learn how to use CAD/CAM technologies in a clinical setting and increase the accuracy and speed of diagnosis and treatment.
New materials for dentistry solutions:
With digital solutions being made available for dentistry, especially for restorations, the demand for new materials will increase. These may include multi-layer materials, fabrics, colors, and surfaces. Further, more research on these materials in terms of their clinical behaviour, biomechanical characterization, and application will be needed to enhance their usage by dental professionals.
A shift in the dental workflow:
The world of dentistry is witnessing a shift in the type or nature of work that is part of the workflow. With technologies such as milling machines, scanners, and CAD/CAM systems entering the lexicon of dental laboratories and clinics, the line dividing labs and milling centres is beginning to fade. Also, dental clinics are having the equipment to design and mill restorations allowing patients to receive implants, bridges, or crowns at the clinics without the dentists reaching out to laboratories or milling centres. This will increase competition among dental professionals and push them to operate as one unit offering various solutions.
New apps for dentists:
Dental professionals are looking at implementing modern digital solutions in their practice to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver a higher patient experience. With digital dentistry overshadowing conventional workflows, dental professionals will find it easier to communicate, share files, provide counselling and treatment, and guide patients using smartphone apps.
Stricter regulations:
With more technologies becoming part of the dental workflow, regulations surrounding the usage of these systems will become stricter. This will be a positive development as manufacturing companies of such devices, say, a digital impression system, need to build quality solutions following streamlined and validated processes or workflow to deliver better patient safety. This can mean more inspections from regulatory agencies in the future.
Conclusion
The world of dentistry is going to change irreversibly with the adoption of new devices such as intraoral scanners, milling machines, 3D printers, milling machines, and CAD software, among others. Dental clinics are well-advised to get onto the digital bandwagon and derive a host of positive outcomes, namely, improved accuracy, high predictability, reduced cost and time, flexible and streamlined workflow, among others.
