What is a Digital Dentistry?
Digital dentistry is a broad term encompassing any dental technology that involves the use of computer-based components such as hardware devices and software solutions. The purpose is to enable dental professionals to deliver treatment with the help of computer-aided tools. New possibilities such as digital scanning in dentistry enable dentists for example to take impressions, perform diagnostics or plan treatment without the use of mechanical tools. Digital dental solutions for labs such as impression scanners and design software significantly speed up the process of creating dental products and reduce the amount of manual work.
CAD/CAM in digital dentistry
Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology refer to the software solutions used, for dentistry but also for other fields such as automotive. Even though technically, CAD/CAM refers to the design and manufacture phases, in day-to-day conversation, the CAD/CAM process covers everything from intraoral scanning, creating a digital dental design, its milling or printing, and implementation into the mouth. This process can be as quick as 40 minutes and can for example enable single-visit treatment. Research points out that CAD/CAM solutions such as scanning and using dental design software can make treatment more accurate, faster, cheaper and decrease the burden on the patient
This dental software may be used by doctors, specialists and lab technicians to construct restorations or prostheses (for example dentures or bridges, inlays and onlays, veneers, crowns, and others), create dental designs, and work on the dental treatment planning cases. These solutions help plan, design and manufacture in a way that is speedy, predictable and easy for the patient to assess. The work done in CAD/CAM software is done on the basis of an intraoral or impression scan — with the software helping with most of the design work.
Advantages of digital dentistry
Patient engagement: It’s possible to present the final result to a patient even before treatment starts (when using a dental smile design protocol, for example), engage in dialogue with them around their expectations, and adjust the plan based on their wishes regarding the esthetics and the treatment timeline.
More accurate treatment planning: Software solutions for dental treatment planning enable designing and planning with digital precision and accuracy, which is a good way to minimize errors (for instance, recording occlusion ensures a better fit).
Time-saving: Digital solutions allow dentists to take impressions quicker and give patients the option to get treatment in a single visit, with less chair-time for the patient. As for the labs, digital dental technologies speed up processes, which lets them handle more orders in the same amount of time.
Space-saving: Patients usually are not aware that their physical impressions will be stored in the clinic for a long time (in some countries this is required by law). This means that some clinics still have a separate room filled with dental models. With digital dental impression technology clinics can store all models on a single computer, server or in the cloud, thus freeing up an entire room that can be used for other purposes!
Cost-effectiveness: Dentists can save money on impression materials and transport by taking them digitally instead, and their patients also won’t need to pay for time and material that isn’t spent.
No more gag-reflex: Dentists taking traditional impressions are often faced with the patients’ gag-reflex or teeth hypersensitivity to cold washing agents. The discomfort of conventional impression taking can be avoided by taking impressions digitally.
Entertainment: Digital pediatric dentistry can help children experience dental procedures as less stressful. Their 3D image on screen — looking like a video game — helps them understand what’s happening.
