Dentistry technology has come a long way since your grandparents received dental treatments and procedures. Nowadays, you may experience less pain and less recovery time than they did, and there are plenty of different options to make your smile look its best. Although you may still have reservations about going to the dentist, the breakthroughs in dentistry innovations may motivate you to go to the dentist.
Here are five dentistry advancements that are influencing the future of dentistry.
Dental Imaging
You may recall going to the dentist and having a heavy cape thrown over your neck to protect you from radiation. This was followed by a series of uncomfortable X-ray photos of your teeth, requiring you to bite down on small inserts a technician puts in your mouth while the tech takes pictures of your teeth at various angles. Upon finishing these images, your dentist would acquire x-ray images of your teeth that weren’t very clear for you to view but undoubtedly easy for them to observe and explain.
Well, in some dental offices, archaic images are going away and instead are being replaced with better dental imaging. Dentists are acquiring digital images, allowing you and the dentist to see a clearer picture of your teeth. You no longer have to rely on the dentist to explain that the dark spot on the x-ray is a cavity.
Instead, you can see the cavity for yourself with these better images. A doctor can also use this technology to visually demonstrate to you how they plan to use a procedure to correct the issue.
Laser Dentistry
Besides better images, dentists are using better tools to help fix and extract teeth. You no longer have to fear the metal tools they’ve used for decades plucking or drilling away at your teeth. Nor do you have to worry about excessive bleeding or being “put under” by anesthetics. Instead, dentists can now use lasers to fix typical dental issues without performing surgical procedures. This means less recovery times for patients.
3D Tooth Printing
If you’ve ever had dental implants, you may know the aggravation associated with getting the size and shape of the tooth just right before the dentist can proceed with surgery. If your tooth is available for them to duplicate, you may not have as much trouble with fittings.
However, if they have to reconstruct a missing tooth entirely, you may have several appointments to get it to fit just right. If the tooth doesn’t fit, you may have to wait several more weeks or months for the right implant to arrive and even a few more weeks after the fitting to get the surgery.
This entire process of getting the right tooth and getting surgery could take up to nine months.
You’ll be happy that many dentists now use 3D printing to get the prototype right in much shorter time frames. A new tooth can print out within a few hours, allowing the dentist to determine quickly if the tooth will fit into your mouth correctly. Instead of waiting months for the right tooth, your dentist can print out the tooth the same day. You may still have to return later to complete the surgery, but at least you don’t have to go through the rigamarole of several different tooth fittings over several months.
Virtual Consultation
You’re probably a busy person, and so is your dental professional. So, locking in the perfect time for dental appointments may be difficult. Now, you can cut down wait times by getting teledentistry services. Such services allow your dentist to attempt to diagnose your issue virtually, giving you the answers you need immediately.
Additionally, these services can speed up dental treatments and eliminate unnecessary trips back and forth to the dentist. Doing the treatment plan virtually allows dentists to focus on performing procedures when you arrive at the office, ultimately saving you time and resources.
Better At-Home Tools
Not only are dental advancements taking place at the dental office, but changes are also being made in-home care to improve dental hygiene between visits. Here are a few dental advancements available in a store aisle near you.
Smart Toothbrushes
Traditional toothbrushes were all the rage last century. Nowadays, you have smart toothbrushes at your disposal. Not only do they have a motorized brush to help clean your teeth, but they also have sensors within them to capture crucial information about your tooth brushing regimen so you can learn how to improve your dental hygiene.
Water Flossers
Aside from advancements in toothbrushes, you no longer have to pluck away your teeth using traditional floss. Instead, water flossers are available to get food from between your teeth in a gentler manner.
Dental Services with Care
Are you ready to schedule an appointment and try some of our latest advancements in dental technology? Dr Hechtman has been providing dental services to include the latest in cosmetic dentistry and dental treatments for more than 40 years! Call our Walled Lake Dental Office today, and one of our dental team members will be happy to get you started on a healthy mouth and stunning smile!