RMDC SPEAKER FEATURED ARTICLE
THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL DENTISTRY By Cindy Kelly, Owner, 5280creations
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ntra Oral scanners for the dental practice, much like computers and cell phones, have become smaller, faster, more accurate, more affordable and undoubtedly something we can’t live without. I/O scanning software continues to evolve and become more user-friendly, streamlining workflows and shortening turnaround times. “The accuracy, patient comfort and time effectiveness of intraoral scanners are incomparable to traditional techniques. The percentage of dentist-clients prescribing digital restorations has nearly doubled since 2010,” based on LMT’s 2018 Dentist Survey. Digital technology in dentistry isn’t just changing the daily workflow for dentists and lab technicians, it is impacting the patient experience as well. Patients are more educated about dental technology than ever before. They are being informed about digital dentistry on social media, and from friends and family who have experienced shorter appointments, quicker turnaround times for delivery of the final restoration and no goopy impressions, resulting in a far more pleasant dental appointment.
Today, with many systems using Near Infrared technology, you can take a full upper and lower digital impression, digitally stored study casts, a shade, intra-oral photos, caries detection, and even show time lapse videos of progressive wear on a patient’s teeth, eliminating the need for multiple devices and repetitive sterilization. Patients can see firsthand the need for treatment to eliminate future damage. In the case of a treatment planned occlusal guard, many clinicians are placing the images of patients wear from previous appointments side by side with a current image to show new wear patterns, and additionally showing an image of projected future wear with Time Lapse Technology. Often a clinician will leave the patient while they step out of the room for a moment to view the images. Studies have shown this can increase patient acceptance by 71%. Patients not only appreciate the state-of-theart technology but also value being more engaged and better informed. This technology helps diagnose, treatment plan, and execute in a very accurate, streamlined environment. Once you have made the decision to invest in digital dentistry and incorporate the digital workflow in your business plan, there are several things to keep in mind.
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