Technology advancement has resulted in the rapid growth of the dental industry. Various new innovations that help comfort patients and lighten the workload of dentists are now present. This article will showcase some of the incredible trends that can help move the dental care industry forward.
Some of these trends include emotional dentistry, laser technology, 3D printing, blockchain and artificial intelligence.
With virtual models and digital images, patients can visualise the final results before undergoing the procedures. This not only enhances the trust of patients in their dentists, but also makes the patient emotionally committed to the result.
Lasers are now used to treat numerous dental ailments and remove any discomfort during a dental procedure such as filling cavities, whitening, extracting tumors and treating tooth sensitivity. While 3D printing is being adapted to revolutionise industries, including the dental industry. Although 3D printers are still rather expensive, and printing teeth still seems to be an implausible process, it is nonetheless likely to be a reality soon.
At present, the 3D printing industry is engaged in the creation of resins and other materials that can help in the production of crowns, inlays, replacement teeth and veneers etc. 3D printing can also efficiently allow the development of retainers and custom aligners.
Blockchain is also being integrated in the healthcare industry as it helps governments restrain the counterfeit drug markets to ease access of patient data to healthcare institutes and insurance providers.
Last but not least, with dentistry constantly generating large amount of data, from booking appointments to patient treatment cycle, patient reviews and so forth; artificial intelligence helps to provide greater understanding of this data in relation patient patterns, research papers, routine tasks etc. In short, artificial intelligence can moderate the tasks of dentists around the world by minimising the extensive workload, streamlining the process and help to strengthen dentist-patient relationships.
Source: Healthcare Innovation
Participate in the upcoming QS Subject Focus Summit – Dentistry under the theme of “Changing Paradigm in Dental Education for Future Excellence” from 4-6 April 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.