Every year technology brings the medical world to newer and better places. This includes the world of dental care, an all too often overlooked category when discussing technological advances.
New innovations allow for dramatic changes across the board, resulting in a more comfortable trip to the dentist. While this venture may never be fun for some, it is still refreshing knowing that so much work is going into patient care.
3D Printing
These days it isn’t unheard of for a household to own their own 3D printer. And yet, it may be a surprise to hear that 3D printing has already begun to make an impact on the way dentists work.
3D printed dental models are more accurate, faster to make, and easily accessible. While that may not sound like a lot to patients, this is just one of the many ways to increase education around the globe. Printers can also produce surgical guides, wax-ups and will continue to expand each year.
Artificial Intelligence
Like many other medical fields, dentists have already begun to use AI to create algorithms, enhance insights, and customize patient care. Better yet, advanced software allows dentists to gather large amounts of health data – and learn from what information has been gathered.
Smart Brushing
The invention of the electronic toothbrush is one that both parents and dentists alike can praise. While electronic toothbrushes have been around for quite some time, the tech behind them has been steadily improving.
These days, having a toothbrush with a two-minute timer is common. Newer advancements include app functions, which can instruct on proper brushing methods, report any problems, and keep track of habits.
VELscope
One thing dentists have learned is that we need better ways to detect problems. The invention of the X-Ray made tracking, finding, and monitoring cavities easier than ever, but that doesn’t mean they’re done looking for options.
Enter VELscope, a special light that dentists can use. When lighting a patient’s mouth, the VELscope can help detect abnormalities (such as early warning signs of dental cancer). Think about how life-changing such an early discovery is for any form of cancer, and it’s easy to understand the importance of this new invention.