We may anticipate developing new and innovative technology, which will help dentists and patients much throughout the years. Given the current scenario caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact on the dental business, every dentist thinks of one thing: what does the future hold for us? While we can’t manage the future, we can anticipate significant developments in the dentistry business that will transform dental services globally.
Emerging Telehealth as a Norm
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the dental business entirely. Dentists are now only asking patients to visit their clinics if physical treatment is necessary. Dentists increasingly offer physical services for regular oral hygiene checks or other therapies that do not need patients’ actual presence. While the Covid-19 thankfully will soon be a thing of the past, telemedicine is here to stay.
The American TeleDentistry Association reports that about 20 percent of Americans reside in rural regions without access to dental treatment. Telemedicine can address this issue in the years to come. How handy for patients would it be? Wherever you reside, you don’t have to take a break or pick up your children for a dental appointment from school. Just log in from your cellphones and let your dentist check your dental health or progress with Invisalign treatment. Similarly, telemedicine, like urgent care telehealth, enables patients to immediately obtain dentists’ guidance while waiting for a physical visit in an emergency.
Clinical Applications of Augmented Reality
Imagine practicing your clinical abilities—or educating your students—without dealing with actual patients. Because of augmented reality, this will become a reality shortly. In the future years, dental students will be able to study and perform various clinical procedures at their convenience, no matter where they are. On top of that, dental professionals will have the option of using augmented reality to educate and advise their patients. The possibilities for augmented reality in dentistry are almost limitless, ranging from providing oral care instructions to displaying tooth abnormalities in real-time and recommending suitable treatment methods.
Tooth Remineralization Made Possible
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of people over 60 years of age globally would increase from 900 million in 2015 to two billion by 2050. By 2050. Consequently, the worldwide incidence of root caries has increased. The present surgical-restorative paradigm for dental caries management—in particular root caries—is universally unworkable. Over the years, the tendency is thus anticipated to move from a “surgical” to a “less intrusive medical model” using new mineral substances such as sodium fluoride and amorphous calcium phosphate.
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has been given significant attention by its ability to successfully stop and prevent root caries. This new remineralizing agent is anticipated to be used by more and more dentists, particularly helpful for treating caries in rural, under-developed regions—or high-risk individuals. Not only that, a team of experts is working on a new remineralization technique—expedited and remineralized electrically (EAER). This technique, which is anticipated to be accessible clinically in the years to come, will enable enamel and dentin remineralization, repairing mild to moderate caries without any rehabilitating therapy. This is by far one of the best advancements in the industry to date.
Investment in Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is increasing in almost all industries, and this is one of the developments in the dentistry sector we anticipate seeing in 2021 and beyond. Although there are some issues regarding AI hospital care, it enhances the patient experience when correctly applied. Your dental office can also offer top-quality patient care 24 hours a day. Patient interactions are not the only possible application in your dental office for artificial intelligence. It can also be used for diagnostics, virtual dental helpers, and even intelligent toothbrushes, which can provide a dentist with information on the oral hygiene practices of his patients and hint towards possible treatments.
If you intend to integrate artificial intelligence into therapy and patient experience, priority must be given to compliance with HIPAA. Ensure that you educate current patients and new people on how you plan to safeguard their privacy in your clinic utilizing artificial intelligence. In 2021 and beyond, we anticipate the dentistry sector to use artificial intelligence.
The list of changes that we might anticipate in the following years is limitless. But we can be sure of something—for the dentistry business and dental patients—the future is bright. We can anticipate developing new and innovative technology, which will help dentists and patients much throughout the years. Let us thus hope for the better and be part of this shift.