Over the years, dental technology has undergone a dramatic evolution, completely changing the way dentists handle oral health for their patients. Dentistry was once an entirely manual craft. Those methods of yesteryear required an immense amount of trust from the patient because so much of what was “diagnosed” was based on the manual dexterity of the dentist. Essentially, a patient’s mouth was like a dark cave—seen only under the limited illumination of a lamp and explored by the dentist’s hands and tools.
The Rise of Digital Dentistry
The term “digital dentistry” refers to the use of dental technologies that involve digital electronics. In contrast, traditional dental tools are mostly mechanical or electrical. A nearly complete transition has happened in dentistry, and technologies that involve digital electronics are virtually ubiquitous. The movement into the “digital age” has brought about improvements in the accuracy and efficiency of dental procedures. Not only that, but the “new normal” has also ushered in many changes that have (almost) invariably been to the benefit of the patient.
Individual digital components (or systems) in dentistry, of course, have a long history that also has many connotations for the benefit of the patient and for the design of more effective dental practices.
Intraoral Scanners
Intraoral scanners have supplanted traditional dental impressions, which were often uncomfortable and frequently inaccurate. Dentists use the scanners to obtain detailed 3D images of the teeth and gums, enabling the fabrication of restorations such as crowns, bridges, and best veneers fort worth with stunning accuracy. The digital information can be sent directly to the lab, which reduces turnaround time and enhances the accuracy of the end product.
The CAD/CAM technology that dentists use allows for the same level of detail that the lab uses and, because the dentists have a far shorter wait time to begin using the equipment, using the equipment in the office in conjunction with an intraoral scanner is a viable option.
3D Printing in Dentistry
Dentistry has embraced 3D printing, and the reason is simple: It has transformed the creation of dental models and the production of dental devices in such a way that the performance and the economics of producing those models and devices have improved significantly. The printing allows virtually perfect customization of the almost infinite number of shapes and forms that make up the dentition.
Laser Dentistry
As for using lasers in dental practice, these have opened new avenues for the development of minimally invasive treatments. Lasers can be used for doing cavity detection, gum reshaping, teeth whitening, and other procedures with great precision—and with a degree of comfort to the patient that is an improvement over traditional techniques. Laser gum contouring is a popular and effective procedure for reshaping the gums for cosmetic and functional purposes. The laser gum contouring cost can vary based on several factors, including location, the dentist’s expertise, and the complexity of the procedure.
Digital Radiography
Traditional X-rays are being eclipsed by digital radiography, which delivers even better image quality; at present, it is clear that the benefit of digital X-rays over traditional film X-rays is that they expose patients to much less radiation. When used in combination with other modern dental imaging technologies, such as Cone Beam Computed Tomography, the digital X-ray system we have at the dental school provides images with very high contrast, which are easy to see and interpret. Because the X-ray images can be viewed almost instantly, they have a part in what has become a very fast diagnosis-and-treatment planning cycle in modern dental practice. And with artificial intelligence entering the picture, who knows what the future will look like?
Digital Smile Design: A New Era in Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental technology has experienced many thrilling and transformative developments in recent years, but few like Cusp Dental Design Laboratory can top Digital Smile Design. This state-of-the-art technique employs the latest digital technology, not only in the creation of your new smile but also in the actual planning of your transformative makeover. The best dental minds today use computers to help them formulate their artistic vision. Regarding the grin’s final contours, they have the means to show you, with stunning clarity, what can be accomplished and how it will look.
What is Digital Smile Design?
Digital Smile Design (DSD) is a step beyond conventional smile design and assists practitioners in the creation of a more predictable, esthetic, and harmonious result. Digital Smile Design is a process that begins with image capture. This includes photography as well as capturing images of the patient’s dental structures using other modalities. Once we have these images, we begin to dissect them almost as if we’re doing a dental anatomy section in dental school. We break down the parts of the dental and facial structure from our images and also capture some still shots of the patient’s dental function during the anatomy sectioning process. At the end of this dissection and capturing process, we have a pretty good idea of what the individual’s dental anatomy is all about, in close to life size, and we also have our imagination stimulated by thinking about how this individual’s smile could function in a more esthetic and harmonious way than what is currently seen (at least by us).
The Benefits of Digital Smile Design
Individuals receiving dental care are not accustomed to being presented with a potential new smile that allows for a level of interaction and customization that today’s virtual world offers. For the most part, a dentist’s office is still a low-tech kind of place.
That being said, there are a few modern planes of existence that we can occupy virtually in the office of the digital dentist. One is the smile design, which is necessary for our setup here because we know that as patients see a new potential any better than what they have now, they’re much more likely to be engaged in what’s decided and have a hand in finalising the process.
The use of DSD in a specific case permits the realisation of plans corresponding exactly to the patients’ desires and to the natural, precise functioning of the teeth and mouth. In short, if I were the patient involved in a DSD case, I would delight in the accuracy of the Digital Smile Design treatment plan. I would relish the aesthetic nature of the smile that DSD allowed the dentist to plan just for me. Finally, I would trust that the final outcome would be achieved with the precision that DSD affords.
Conclusion
How dental care is managed has been revolutionised by the technology that in recent years has enhanced our capabilities in the dental office. Our precision has increased, our efficiency has multiplied, and our delivery of patient-centred care has improved in ways that, until recently, would have been hard to imagine—let alone achieve. Among these advancements, Digital Smile Design is an exceptional tool that can help patients visualise what their “ideal” smile would look like, mostly because we are so limited in what we can actually do to give someone a smile makeover. But DSD is also a cutting-edge technology in revolutionising cosmetic dentistry.