BEAM ME UP

Many people avoid technology as long as possible and others embrace it early. For many of us, it’s not easy to decide when, how, and even if, to incorporate different technological advances into our lives. My dilemma is often whether the cost and learning curve will be worth it in the end. How do we know whether the investment in time and money is really any better than an “older model”? Technology is great, but there is no arguing with historical success.

Technology does come at a cost. While we would all love to have unlimited resources to purchase everything that catches our eye and try it out, this is not reality for most of us. Instead, we must try to envision whether the investment in a particular technology will make us better and more efficient at what we do.

Last year I installed more sophisticated (and expensive) programmable thermostats in my office. Despite my hesitation, primarily due to the cost, the technology made sense to me. It didn’t take long to prove itself to be more efficient and produce a better result than without it.

Like any other area, dentistry is full of old, new, and emerging technology. The 5 major technologies being used on a regular basis in dentistry are digital x-rays, intraoral cameras, cone-beam computed tomography 3-D imaging, dental lasers, and CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing of dental restorations).

Surprisingly, digital x-rays are still not used in all dental offices. When I first brought this into my office 12 years ago, I was a little skeptical. The cost was high and I didn’t fully understand how it was going to make anything better. It didn’t take long to realize it was far better. Digital x-rays are faster, provide far less radiation to the patient, are easy to e-mail, and eliminated the chemicals needed to develop film – a plus for the environment.

Intraoral cameras are an essential tool in the dental office. They are essential for communication, and communication with patients is everything.

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a newer 3-D type of x-ray which is often used for dental implant planning as well as an aid in diagnosis of other dental issues. Although the cost has come down, it is still expensive, which is one reason why it is not found in most dental offices.  It has its place, but as with some other technology, it comes with risk of being overused.

There are many kinds of dental lasers. Lasers in dentistry can diagnose decay, aid in gum disease therapy, prepare teeth without a drill, relieve canker sore pain, and some even claim to whiten teeth. They too have their limitations, but the technology keeps growing.

CAD/CAM technology in dentistry allows the dentist to prepare, scan, design, manufacture, and deliver certain kinds of treatment in one visit. It has some limitations and is still expensive, but the concept is the wave of the future.

In addition to my new thermostats, I purchased a CAD/CAM system last year. While the learning curve has been challenging, the more I learn different applications for it, the more I realize it allows me to offer a higher level of care.

My dental assistants and I are excited to be headed out for 2 days of advanced training on our system later this week. I’ll have more to say about CAD/CAM technology next week.