How Modern Technology Has Changed Your Dentist Office

Times have changed and dental clinics have too.

Long gone are the days when a dental office was equipped with giant needles, foot-powered dental drills and disappointing results with increased pain and discomfort for patients. Now modern technology has changed the overall experience of dental clinic visits by introducing new, painless tools and techniques, as well as an improved dental office environment, to make it pleasant and comfortable for the patients.

There are a number of areas where an improvement in dental practice has contributed to turning a patient’s fear into enjoyment. Advancements in these areas have already been incorporated in the training of most of the dental schools who aim to deliver quality programs equipped with the knowledge of all the latest tools, techniques and equipment. All the dental professionals are hence required to get the training of all these tools and techniques, expected to incorporate such improvements in their dental clinics, and practice these revolutionary methods to stay abreast of the technology. Some of the basic changes brought about in dental offices include:

The Dentist’s Office Environment

Long waiting times are attributed to dental offices but the latest ways of creating relaxed environments for patients has called for making this wait enjoyable. Now, waiting areas in most of the dental offices must be equipped with TVs, internet, music, and other comfortable and exciting amenities such as heated blankets, noise canceling headphones, built-in massage chairs, etc. which make the time go by faster and the wait becomes pleasant for the patients.

Personalized Process

Dentists should use improved technology and equipment to provide patients with a superior personalized experience before even getting into the chair, such as by providing relaxation and efficiency in dental practices.

Electronic Health History

Recording a patient’s health history offers huge benefits to not only you (the dentist or hygienist) but the patient as well. A patient doesn’t really need to bring health records during each visit or memorize anything. It’s all there in the electronic record maintained at the dental office. Whenever you have a patient, all the history related to benefits, insurance claims and referrals is already available. It offers great assistance when a patient pops in the dental clinic with an emergency situation.

Sedating

Sedation is one of the basic improvements made in dental offices. With a common Novocaine medication to numb a particular part of the mouth, three more modern dental sedation options are available.

Pill-based oral sedation which puts the patient in a dream-like state.
Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas, produces a relaxed sensation when inhaled with a small mask.
IV sedation which creates a steady flow of intravenous medication and keeps the patient feeling relaxed and drowsy during the treatment.

Biocompatible materials

Durable restorations matching with the color of natural teeth and requiring less tooth structure removal are now possible with modern technology. Though many methods are still used today such as silver fillings, a better and natural looking option of composite filling now exists.

Intraoral cameras

A faster, better and more precise dentistry is defined by these intraoral cameras, which are a tiny device that provides a detailed and deep picture of what’s happening inside a patient’s mouth. Rather than taking x-rays, this pen-like camera shows images on the computer screen and provides real time images and videos of the conditions that are hard to see through the naked eyes.

Advanced Screening

It has become easier for dentists to spot and prevent issues even before they grow into something large and expensive. Digital scanning and screening equipment can detect the smallest cavities, gum disease or oral cancer and helps the dentists to create a treatment plan accordingly.

Digital X-Rays

New 3D imaging techniques have eliminated the requirement to bite down that gooey, slimy and bitter material to make an impression for a crown or a bridge. It just takes a few seconds and thousands of different dimensional photos of a patient’s mouth are created. It helps the dentists to make more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Rotary Endodontics

Root canals are a common but intensive dental procedure which takes much longer than a normal cavity to treat. Rotary Endodontics uses a special electrical hand piece to make it easier to complete a root canal while decreasing the time a patient spends for the work done.

Establishing a modern dental office by investing in proven dental technology makes the treatment faster, painless, easier and less invasive, which turns the treatment into a pleasant experience for both the dentist and the patient.

About the Author

After completing his undergraduate studies in Biology, Dr. Yaroslav Yarmolyuk attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), College of Dentistry, where he received extensive theoretical and clinical training in dentistry. During his studies at UIC, Dr. Yarmolyuk obtained a Bachelor of Science in Dentistry and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees. Dr. Yarmolyuk was involved in a variety of research and leadership activities and is a recipient of multiple honors and awards.