No one likes going to the dentist, although everyone knows how important oral health is and how strongly it is related to our overall health. But new solutions, including virtual reality, video technologies, and artificial intelligence, will soon revolutionize dentistry and, in general, our attitude to oral health. In this article, we will consider the importance of innovative technologies in everyday dentistry.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Dentists have already started using the software to get information for clinical decision-making. Soon such programs will work based on AI algorithms, which will facilitate the work of a doctor.
Specialists can integrate such intelligent algorithms into the healthcare system to analyze health data, research results, and treatments. These decisions allow doctors to offer recommendations for individual patients.
Teledentistry
Patients with special needs, the elderly in nursing homes, and people living in rural areas find it difficult to access a dentist and rarely have a choice. The spread of teledentistry will change it.
For example, MouthWatch's TeleDent service offers an all-in-one teledentistry platform that allows patients to take photos and videos of their mouth or teeth. Consultants know how to cut a video and send relevant information to a dentist to conduct real-time consultations remotely. The dentist can start a video chat with the patient and caregiver so that the healthcare professional can:
- See and talk to the patient
- Make contact with them, and then bring them to the doctor's office (if necessary)
Augmented Reality (AR)
Specialists use augmented reality technology in dentistry for educational and clinical purposes. In dental practice, doctors use this technology to demonstrate the results of reconstructive and aesthetic procedures.
For example, SmartTek and Kapanu have presented AR tools that use a phone or tablet's camera to superimpose a virtual image of an improved set of teeth on top of real teeth before a procedure. The application works by comparing a 3D scan of the patient's mouth with pre-prepared sets of scans. They represent healthy teeth obtained during similar medical procedures.
Virtual Reality (VR)
Just like AR, dentists use virtual reality (VR) to educate and improve dentists' skills. Usually, only a couple of students can peep over the surgeon's shoulder as he performs a complex operation, and it greatly complicates the learning process.
But the VR camera allows you to broadcast the operation around the world, and students using VR glasses can watch the process. For example, Nobel Biocare organized a broadcast of a dental operation, which was available through virtual reality devices.
Virtual reality technology is also useful for patients. Dentists use VR as an effective distraction. Patients wore glasses that displayed soothing natural scenes and recalled the treatment more positively. One such VR tool for reducing dental anxiety is the OperaVR system.
Intraoral Scanner (IOS)
The intraoral scanner (IOS) is a modern device for scanning the intraoral cavity. Specialists use it to create digital impressions in dentistry.
The dentist places the device in the patient's mouth and directs the light to the desired tooth or jaw area. It helps transmit the light signal to the computer. At the same time, the system transforms the light into a three-dimensional 3D image. It allows you to see hard-to-reach areas of the oral cavity on the monitor in real-time.
An intermediary between the light signal and the image on the monitor is a program. The software accepts images of dental structures (including implants) taken by the device's sensors and converts them into clumsy point clouds. The system processes the points and converts them into a three-dimensional surface model.
Modeling and 3D Printing
Computer modeling and 3D printing technologies are beginning to revolutionize dental laboratories. They are turning into substantially cheaper and more efficient digital labs.
With the help of new technologies, the manufacturing process, for example, of crowns is significantly accelerated. The tooth is prepared for the installation of the prosthesis, then its picture is taken. Experts send a picture to the computer that controls the machine, which makes the crown suitable for this particular patient right in the office and very quickly.
Through the use of 3D printing, all intermediate stages that create a queue are eliminated. The work of a doctor is greatly simplified.
Final Thoughts
Today, dentists can offer the patient modern methods of treatment, prosthetics, and implantation. Experts use video technologies to solve the problem quickly and painlessly