There are always changes in the dental field, especially over the past 70 years. The field itself has been transformed from being a reactive one where people came in to have existing problems fixed – mostly in the form of removing decayed teeth – to being a proactive and preventative one. The dental technology has allowed dentists to spot potential problems far faster than in the past and also fix them in a much shorter amount of time.
These advances have also opened up free time for patients. Instead of waiting weeks for new dentures to be sent back and forth between a manufacturer and dentist, they can get them in a fraction of that due to there being in-house dental labs that make them that much quicker. As technology improves, it becomes all about convenience to all the parties involved.
Want to know the best thing? There are even better things down the road. Here are some of the big advances in dentistry.
Teledentistry
This became a necessity during the early days of the global pandemic… and it continues to be invaluable. Patients can speak to a dentist face to face from the comfort of their own home and there is no risk of anyone infecting each other. Also, it’s been quite the boon for people who have disabilities such as being wheelchair-bound or other difficulties with mobility. Rural areas have also benefit from this.
While dental practices are opening back up and taking extra precautions in between patients, there is still this option. It’s always best to have a plan in case things get bad again, whatever the scenario. This idea would have been far-fetched even a decade ago, but the technology has continued to grow. Who knows what the next ten years will hold?
Augmented Reality
When people hear about this, they think of games with those virtual reality headsets that have become the rage. While there is a large market for those, the medical field and dental fields can really benefit from them. Medical schools and dental schools have already begun incorporating them into their class work and it only stands to become even more popular as the years go on.
Again, dentists and dental students could find themselves able to move forward despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Just put on a VR set and practice on virtual patients. Things can be calibrated for any scenario… and it can help them be able to adapt to a real-life situation when it presents itself. The headset would pay for itself once the dentist began to see real patients.
Intraoral-Oral Camera
Patients come to dread the dentist or hygienist telling them to “Open wider” when it already feels like their mouth is already open enough to drive a car through. It’s important though, since every part of the mouth has to be inspected. That’s where the intra-oral camera comes in. The dentist can see all of your mouth without all of the discomfort.
It works like this: There is a regular dental mirror, but a camera is attached to it. This way, the image will be sent to a nearby monitor and the dentist can see what the camera is showing without the need to have the patient open their mouths so much. The pictures are much clearer and the dentist can adjust things to get the best images.
The thing is – this is only a small part of the advances that are in the works. The people in the dental field are constantly refining and innovating year in and year out.
Dr. Robert Trager, the JFK-LGA Dentist, has been on top of all the changes in dentistry over the course of his career. He’s seen many advances during that time and is always glad to incorporate them into his practice, You can see for yourself when you make an appointment. Give him a call today – 718-656-4747.
Published By:
Dr. Robert M. Trager
JFK Airport
Building 14 West Wing,
Jamaica, NY 11430
Phone: 718-656-4747
Website: https://jfk-lga-dentist.com
