4 Of The Latest Types Of Dental Technology You Should Know About

You probably want to align your teeth, and the idea of traditional wire bracelets on your teeth for the better part of the year makes you change your mind. Worry no more, because today, there are clear aligners that you can put, and no one will notice. Clear aligners are aligners invisible when you smile or talk. There are different clear aligner options; the at-home and the in-office aligners. At-office aligners require you to book an appointment with an orthodontist to examine your teeth and determine the best clear bracelets for you. You are also expected to book regular appointments for progress examinations.

At-home aligners are aligners that you request online. The doctor will then send an assessment tool to your house and use it to examine the nature of your teeth. After paying for your bracelets, your package of clear teeth aligners is sent to your address. Home aligners are not similar to DIY aligners. Are aligners bad for your teeth? DIY aligners do not involve a specialist; they are sold over the counter and may be bad for your teeth.

Invisalign is the most trusted brand of clear aligners on teeth. There are different Invisalign options depending on age, type of teeth, and patient’s teeth condition. Other aligners include the clear correct aligners and the 3M clarity aligners.

As with any medical field, the dental field is constantly evolving. Dental technology is not what it once, particularly within the United States. Why? Well, for one thing, everyone needs to see a dentist regularly in order to maintain their health. Therefore, there will always be a good deal of demand for them, and a corresponding need for forward progress in its technology. As young dentists continue to answer that demand and enter the profession, they’ll explore new options for their patients, as well as new specialties. It’s important. Yet it is important to note that dentistry has also grown beyond the typical maintenance and treatments offered by family dentists. Cleaning teeth is not the only thing that dental patients look for. They also seek out more intense corrective procedures, which is where orthodontists and dental surgeons have found their callings. Furthermore, cosmetic dentistry is also in increasing demand. People understand that great smiles make a big difference, both in improving personal confidence and also in creating more opportunities, both personally and professionally. However, this requires a great deal of trust from dental patients. Therefore, it’s no wonder that dentistry is counted among the top 10 most trusted and ethical professionals within the United States.

Despite our trust in dentistry, a lot of us don’t even know what’s happening behind the scenes. Many of us understandably don’t keep up with the latest dental technology, but the more the dental field progresses, the more effectively we will be treated not only in emergency situations but within the cosmetic dental fields. Furthermore, new inventions within the dental field will also make it a lot easier for us to get the dental care that we need. Right now, it can be a major hassle to go to the dentist, to the point that a lot of people get anxious and refuse to go to the dentist as regularly as they should. With that being said, let’s learn more about the latest dental technology, and how it is going to make major differences for dentists and dental patients alike in the future.

1. 3D Printing

Chances are that you’ve already heard of 3D printing, and how it’s affecting the world at large. 3D printing was once used to create purely static inventions. However, in recent years it’s been used to progress a number of different fields. For example, companies like Redefine Meat are using 3D printing to create meat alternatives that are as close to a steak as possible without actually being “real” meat products. 3D printing has also, perhaps unsurprisingly, been proposed as a potential alternative to traditional solutions within the medical field. While many procedures currently rely upon transplanted organs from humans and in some cases even animals, 3D printing may one day provide doctors with the ability to 3D print new organs that normally wouldn’t be readily available. Therefore, it’s natural that 3D printing has become a part of theoretical solutions within the latest dental technology.

In fact, perhaps due to the more rigid and static nature of dentistry, 3D printing can actually be applied somewhat easily to the dental field, and it has already become a part of the industry. Within many dental labs, 3D printing has become a vital part of model-making. Keep in mind that as every patient’s bite is different, dentists need models that are made specifically to mimic the patient’s bite. Even orthodontists need these specialized models when creating braces. Dentistry is never a “one size fits all” field. It’s also been used to improve the surgical guides for dental surgeons, as well as wax-ups. The Continuous Liquid Interface production has made a huge difference within the dental industry, as it is meant to be 100 times faster than any other form of 3D printing. A lot of dentists can look at this type of printing, recognize that it eliminates the issue of speed that plagues many other types of 3D printing, and even form the types of dentures that their patients have long been seeking. Ultimately, 3D printing is the way of the future. In the future, even typical implants will be replaced by 3D printed teeth that will better mimic actual teeth, and perhaps even replace the exact teeth that a patient lost, down to every ridge. These 3D printed replacements will not only be aesthetically pleasing but also biochemically compatible with the patients. Out with the old forms of prostheses, the latest dental technology will provide prostheses that fit patients perfectly.

2. Robotics

Robots are figured into most theoretical ideas about the future. But it may be harder to initially guess at how it will figure into the latest dental technology. However, robotics has actually long been a part of other medical fields. Think about how neurosurgeons have been using robots to not only reach places that were once difficult to access, but also to aid in reducing human error. Dentists can use robots in a similar way. While a lot of people think of dental surgery as being a less invasive type of surgery, as a lot of people can more easily recover from this surgery on an outpatient basis, it’s still very much a surgical procedure. For that matter, a lot of people struggle with dental surgery even more due to the fact that it’s quite difficult. Dental surgeons need to delve into the mouth, ideally without breaking apart the jaw and causing more damage than is necessary. After all, the mouth is quite delicate and can easily be harmed in the course of dental surgery and ensuring dental health.

The exact purpose of robotics within any kind of surgery is to create as precise a procedure as possible. Dental surgeons are often dealing with a small space, which can make it difficult to execute precise procedures. Robots create the opportunity to delve within dental cavities with smaller, daintier robotic instruments. Furthermore, this means that those cavities won’t need to be opened more in order to provide a greater level of space, and therefore there will be far less for the patients to recover from in the long term. Ultimately, a lot of people skip procedures that they really need because they minimize the importance of oral health and feel like they don’t want to deal with the side effects that come from dental surgery. Robotics allows those surgeons to do what they need to do, while reassuring patients that they don’t need to worry about that recovery time that can come with more invasive procedures. This is resulting in some dental surgeons beginning to experiment with the latest dental technology to the degree that they’re creating hands-free dental surgeries. Not only will this result in less invasive dental surgeries; it may ultimately result in dental surgeons being able to do more surgery throughout the day, and create more convenient care for patients.

3. Ultrasound Technology

You may be interested in the idea of ultrasound technology outright; it’s no wonder that it’s taken the healthcare solutions field by storm. Ultrasound technology has allowed medical professionals to see what’s happening within the body without being invasive and causing a lot of extra side effects and potential recovery times. However, you may be surprised by how much the ultrasound is beginning to affect the latest dental technology. It’s important to remember that ultrasound technology is not only meant to allow dentists to get an idea of what they need to plan for in terms of treatment. It’s also meant to allow this type of plotting without the issues that come with radiation, which is a side effect that people tend to worry about with x-rays. X-rays have long been a concern for dental patients, as they’re a part of many typical regular appointments. Yet, as we all know, x-rays do expose patients to radiation. Prolonged exposure to radiation is associated with harmful side effects; this is why ultrasounds have been so eagerly explored by dentists and patients alike.

So, why haven’t ultrasounds been at the forefront of the latest dental technology thus far? Well, the major reason is that they simply don’t offer the clearest images. As opposed to x-rays, which offer clear pictures of what is happening to bones in particular, ultrasounds are fairly grainy and somewhat vaguer; or that, is, they have been in the past. The future is offering a new frontier in terms of ultrasonic imagery. 3D ultrasounds have been popular for quite some time among expectant mothers. This technology allows a much more clear picture of the ultrasounds we’ve been used to in the past. Ideally, this means that ultrasound will eventually overtake x-rays when it comes to the future of dental technology as well. Furthermore, this kind of technology can be applied more specifically, beyond what is happening to the teeth; which, as they are similar to bones, are easier to examine through x-ray than other part of the mouth. In the future, if you have an inflammation than extends within your gums it can possibly be better-detected through ultrasound than it would be through x-ray.

4. Teledentistry

COVID-19 has changed much, not only in terms of what we’re looking for in our everyday dentists but in terms of what we need from the latest dental technology. People need to stay inside now more than ever, and they’re struggling with how they’re going to take care of themselves in terms of dentistry. With that being said, just as other medical professionals need to adjust to the new normal, so too do dentists. With that being said, it might be at first confusing to understand how dentistry can be accomplished remotely. Fortunately, it’s more accessible than many might realize.

Even before COVID-19, a lot of people were hesitant to visit the dentist in person. Many people harbor a fear of the dentist, which makes them so anxious that they actually are unable to visit the dentist on a regular basis that they should. While teledentistry doesn’t solve this issue entirely, it does make it easier to cope with. a lot of people also struggle with the idea of going out in general. Mental health issues like anxiety and depression make it hard for people to make the dentist a priority, and the pandemic has only made these issues more intense. Even distance can make a big difference for a lot of people who need dental care. In more rural areas, a lot of people find it difficult to reach their dentist on a regular basis. All of this being said, the latest dental technology allows people to at least handle some of their dental issues across great distances. Images can be taken of the teeth remotely, which will allow dentists to examine the teeth and take notes on a contactless basis. They can then send their notes to other dentists, thus eliminating the need for some appointments. While it can’t take the place of cleanings in person, a lot of people are benefited from these advances, and it ultimately makes it a lot easier for people to get the care that they need. It also means that if your dentist detects an issue remotely, they can recommend that you visit in-person, ultimately cutting down on the amount of frivolous in-person visits a lot of people find themselves dealing with.

At the end of the day, many of the advances in dental technology can be a little difficult to come to terms with at first. We may not initially be comfortable with the idea of contactless dental appointments, or robot dental surgery. But in the long term, if these advancements make it easier for people to get the care they need, they’ll be well worth the initial anxieties and hesitance. With that being said, when choosing a dentist to work with, you may want to ask about the different types of advanced dental technologies they might offer. It could make a big difference in your final decision of who to work with!