Traditionally, visits to the dentist had been considered a painful experience; however, modern dentistry is far from that stereotype, especially how new technological advances are making diagnosis and treatment plans more efficient. Dentists who are using modern technology and practices often have high patient satisfaction.
We spoke to Dr. Uparika Sharma, who is #1 ranked Bellevue Dentist about technology in dentistry. She attributes her high patient satisfaction to extensive use of modern digital technology. This makes patient experience much better and provides exceptional dental care.
Let’s take a look at some of the technology that’s making breakthroughs in the industry:
3D Scanning & Printing
Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has come a long way in the past couple decades and it allows dentists to get a 3D view of your mouth without needing to insert any bothersome materials. This has especially become important for orthopedic surgeons or creating implants with increased accuracy.
Along with a CBCT machine, your Bellevue Dentist may also have a CEREC machine to create crowns out of those 3D images. If you’re a fan of 3D printing, a CEREC machine is just that but using ceramics. In fact, this sort of technology has been around in the 1980s, before “3D printing” was even a buzzword.
A ceramic block is picked out to match the patient's tooth shade and the machine is milled to match the shape of the tooth. After a quick check to make sure it fits, it is then bonded as a permanent implant without wasting any time with temporaries.
No More Drilling
Drilling is one of the horrors of old dentistry and it’s now being phased out in favor of lasers. Not only is a laser much safer, but it also cuts down the time of dental procedures drastically. Laser products can do other things like reshape gums, relieve cold sores, expose wisdom teeth or remove oral tumors. It also has a sterilizing effect, making infections during procedures quite rare.
Although, laser equipment is more expensive than drills so some offices are lagging behind in making the upgrade. There are also different products with wavelengths designed for softer or harder materials, adding more variance to the price.
Smart Toothbrushes
With people being obsessed with mobile devices and IoT, it’s no surprise that there are multiple smart brushes on the market. While it is gimmicky on the surface, it is quite useful to make sure that you are brushing consistently and correctly.
For example, some brushes will have pressure sensors to warn you when you are brushing too hard, which wears the gums and tooth enamel. It can also collect data to help you visualize which spots in your mouth you keep neglecting. Hooked up with an accompanying mobile application, you can also receive notifications so you don’t forget to brush your teeth.
Accurate Cavity Detection
Dental caries can be quite tricky to diagnose while it can be sometimes confused with staining to the naked eye. There are now handled imaging devices that dentists can use to quickly diagnose the existence and gravity of cavities with high accuracy rates. It would be a drag to have your dental health degrade due to neglect or a misdiagnosis.
Conclusion
As dental technology follows the same linear path of other technological advancements, the profession may become quite trivialized for even major procedures. With these improvements, that could be even less pain involved when visiting the dentist. Bellevue Azalea Dentistry is a great example of a dental practice keeping up with the latest technology, and you may check out their website at https://BellevueDentist.us.