NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE
44 FORECAST 2021
MODERN DENTAL OFFICE
The modern dental practice has
reaped the benefits of expanding
technologies in the past few years.
Some of the most significant advances
come in the way dentists take images—
both inside and outside the mouth. Local
dentist Dr. Paul Gilreath, CEO of Gilreath
Family Dentistry, utilizes several different
technologies in his practice and was
contacted to discuss the options available
to today’s dental patients. “Dentistry
is so different than it was just a decade
ago. We have invested in technology
that helps us provide faster, more
comfortable dentistry to our patients.”
There are several types of technologies
that benefit patients in the modern
dental practice. The most common
new technology is in digital “xrays”
(radiographs). Most modern practices use
digital radiographs instead of film. This
allows the dentist to see films instantly
instead of processing them in a developer,
which takes 10 minutes. Images can be
enlarged so that every detail can be seen.
Another advancement in dental
technology is with intraoral scanning
instead of impressions. Dr. Gilreath states,
“Most patients hate impressions. The old
way of taking molds of the teeth involve
putting thick, sticky impression material
in the patient’s mouth. This is seldom
necessary anymore. Digital technology
allows dentists to ‘scan’ the teeth using a
special camera that is small and doesn’t
gag the patient. These scans are very fast
to obtain (about 2-3 minutes), and are far
more accurate that the old impressions.
We use this for crowns, bridges, implants,
Invisalign, retainers, bleaching trays—just
about everything we do.”
One of the best benefits of using a digital
scan is for crown and bridge treatments.
In more technically advanced offices, the
dentist can use these scans to make the
crowns and bridges in the office while
you wait. Gilreath adds, “Digital scans
and special software and hardware give us
the ability to do same day crowns, smile
makeovers and even implant crowns, all
while you are in the office. Appointments
for same day crowns last about an hour
and a half. There are no impressions, no
temporaries to come off and no extra
appointment. It’s all done in the one
appointment.” Dr. Gilreath and other
offices that have this technology use the
same materials as professional dental
laboratories to make your crowns and
bridges. Gilreath adds, “In our hands,
the result actually surpasses what most
dentists get back from dental labs. When
you put a temporary on a tooth, the
tooth moves over the next few weeks, so
the crowns can need a lot of adjustment.
You’re also trusting the lab technician
to determine exactly the type of tooth
anatomy, look and function the dentist
sees and requires in the restoration. That
information is very difficult to convey to
a lab tech. By making the restorations in a
practice, while you wait, we can make the
restoration fit precisely, while you wait.”
Another advancement is in the placement
of dental implants. Gilreath states, “Five
years ago, most dentists and surgeons
placed implants “freehand”, meaning they
were placed blindly without being able
to “see” inside the bone. There are two
problems with this approach. First, you
can’t see vital structures like important
nerves, sinuses, and tooth roots. The
second issue is that the final restoration
(like a crown) is not considered, meaning
that there are times where a surgeon
will place an implant that is not in an
ideal location for the final restoration.”
Dental offices that use low radiation CT
scans and digital intraoral teeth scans can
plan an implant case precisely. “By using
these technologies”, says Gilreath, “we
can put an implant in the exact position,
avoiding sinuses, tooth roots and other
vital structures. And, we can do this while
considering the exact position that the
future crown requires. It also makes the
placement of the implant incredibly fast,
as in just a couple of minutes. Our patients
love that!”
For his Invisalign and clear aligner
patients, Dr. Gilreath puts the technology
in the hands of his patients. “We give all
the aligners that move the teeth to the
patient at one time; then, the patient uses
a special app on their smart phone to scan
their teeth every week. It takes about 2
minutes to do and then the scan comes
to our office and we evaluate the tooth
movement. It keeps the patient from
having to come into our office every 6
weeks or so and instead they come in only
if we need to see them.”
As technology continues to progress,
dentistry will
no doubt be a
recipient of these
advances, making
the patient
experience faster
and the services
rendered longer
lasting and easier
to obtain.
“
Implant planning
Digital crown design
Dentistry is so different
than it was just a decade
ago. We have invested
in technology that helps
us provide faster, more
comfortable dentistry to our
patients. ” Dr. Gilreath