Just like marmite, we either love or hate visiting the dentist. But no matter what your opinion of visiting your local dental practice is, there’s no denying that new and innovative dental technologies continue to shape today’s dental care, helping to solve and identify oral issues early on. From finding the best dental implants Turkey has to offer, improving the way patient records are stored and the ease of access, the innovations are endless, so to find out how dental technologies are shaping today’s dental care, continue reading!
Digital X-Rays
Undergoing an x-ray for an accurate insight into your mouths, health is somewhat nerve-wracking, but we do it for a reason. Not only do digital x-rays expose patients and dental surgeons and nurses to up to 90% less radiation than the more traditional film x-rays, but they are also better for the environment because they don’t require developing. Within seconds of taking the image, they appear on a computer screen for your dentist to examine, identifying possible infections in the bone, cysts, tumours, developmental abnormalities, periodontal disease and small areas of decay between the teeth.
VELscope
Most, if not all, doctors and dentists alike have already started using VELscope in their practices for initial check-ups, as well as annual patient check-ups. VELscope is a non-invasive oral cancer-screening device for those who are unaware, suitable for those over the age of 18. The handheld device emits a safe, but visible blue light, into the oral cavity, which is used to identify the effects of cellular, structural and metabolic activity changes in oral mucosal tissues.
Intraoral Camera
If you’ve ever got the opportunity to see inside your mouth, or even if you are too squeamish to look, it’s more than likely thanks to the intraoral camera. Intraoral cameras are an essential tool for dentists, allowing them to see inside the teeth, beneath the jawbone and gums. Not only are these cameras an innovative alternative to using a standard circular mirror, but intraoral cameras also offer patients greater understanding of what is going on inside their mouth and identify the areas they might be lacking in when it comes to good oral health practices.
Electric Health Records
Although making the switch to electronic health records may seem daunting for dentists that are comfortable using paper, it shouldn’t be! Electric Health Records (EHR) are a fantastic alternative to the stand paper-based patient health records. Not only are electric health records convenient for both patient and dentist, but they also improve efficiency within the dental practice and can be accessed at the click of the button, so old filing record systems really are a thing of the past. There’s no need to spend minutes, if not hours, finding the correct patient records amongst thousands of other patient records, improving productivity.
3D Printing
3D printing is still up and coming in the dental industry, but it could be useful in the future. Whilst 3D printing has been all the rage in the last few years in everything from food production to weaponry, the implications for use in a dental practice are clear. Even though both CAM and CAD systems are used to grind down a block to create restoration pieces, we could soon see 3D printers being used to build these restoration pieces instead from the bottom upwards. In recent months, researchers have begun working on ways to make 3D printed teeth resistant to bacteria, as well as print a full denture.