MODERN TRENDS IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF
DENTISTRY

Абделфаттах Ахмед Абделфаттах Абделтавваб

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The field of dentistry is constantly evolving and changing to
best suit patient needs. 123Dentist is always on the lookout for
new and emerging technology to make our patients’ experience
as comfortable as possible. Here is just a few of the different
technologies that 123Dentist practices use to ensure we
provide world-class service to all our patients:
1.VELscope is a special type of light that a dentist
will shine in a patient’s mouth to detect any abnormalities. This
new form of technology is effectively used to detect early forms
of cancer or disease during an oral cancer screening.
2. Digital X-Rays—Digital X-rays are faster and contain less
radiation than traditional X-rays. When a patient has a digital
X-ray done, the image appears on the computer in a matter of
seconds. Your dentist can then zoom into the image to better
assess and educate the patient regarding their oral health.
Digital X-rays are also less harmful for patients as they contain
up to 90% less radiation compared to traditional X-rays.
3. Invisalign—Invisalign are clear, practically invisible braces
that can gently straighten your teeth. They provide an effective
and comfortable way to straighten your smile without the
inconvenience of wearing heavy, metal braces. Invisalign braces
are easy to take out for cleaning and don’t require a restriction
on what type of foods to eat. They get the job done in less time
with less hassle.
4. Laser Dentistry—Lasers are used to improve efficiency and
eliminate discomfort in a number dental procedures, including
filling cavities, reducing tooth sensitivity, getting rid of tumors,
and whitening. Laser dentistry is fast, painless, and can
effectively eliminate any form of bacteria during the procedure
to avoid any further complications or problems.
5. Dental Implants—Dental implants are screw-
replacements
for the root portion of missing teeth. Implants are used to
restore healthy smiles when patients have missing teeth.
Implants are effective because they can replace missing
teeth,
while still giving the patient the feel and look of a natural
tooth.
6. Heal Ozone is a fast, easy and painless way to eliminate tooth
decay. Heal Ozone is effective because it contains ozone (O3),
which is a common, natural gas that effectively kills bacteria
and fungus. Heal Ozone is a great tool to detect and get rid of
any early signs of tooth decay before it progresses to a more
advanced stage.
7. DIAGNO dent is a new, state of the art device that dentists
use to detect cavities that are hiding in places regular x-rays
can’t find. It ensures that your mouth has been thoroughly
checked for early signs of cavities to avoid you having to spend
more in the future if the cavities progress and expand.
8. Intraoral Camera—The intraoral camera is a tool that
dentists use to gain precise and well-defined pictures of hard to
see places within a patient’s mouth. The camera also allows
dentist to show these images to patients while assessing and
educating the patient’s needs. This new form of technology
allows dentist to conduct a thorough checkup of your mouth
and better assess their patient’s oral care needs.
9. Zoom! Whitening—Zoom! Whitening is a new, state of the
art whitening treatment that gives our patients fast and easy
results. In just one appointment, Zoom! Whitening can make a
significant change in a person’s smile and can make their teeth
up to eight shades whiter.
10. Nitrous Oxide and (Intravenous) IV Sedation—Nitrous oxide,
also known as laughing gas, can calm a patient down to a point
that they are relaxed but can still interact with their dentist. On
the other hand, IV sedation puts a patient to sleep completely
so that they are unaware of what happened during their dental
session. This is usually recommended for patients who are
fearful of going to the dentist or for procedures that are painful
such as wisdom teeth extraction.
Implant dentistry was developed with the idea of rehabilitating
the chewing function so that patients without teeth could eat
well without removable dentures, since these were usually
uncomfortable and fitted badly.
Implants became the most natural replacement for missing
teeth when one or just a few teeth were missing. Restorations
with implants don’t require grinding or damaging neighboring
teeth, so they cause the least biological trauma.
However, the time required for patients to receive final
restoration meant that many of them reverted to a different
type of treatment. And as additional procedures were often
needed, the time needed to finish treatment was prolonged,
sometimes even more than a year.
In the last 10-15 years, as a changing society brought about
certain trends and heightened demands, implant dentistry
became focused on patients’ needs. Research, development,
and advancements in technology and clinical techniques
enabled us to offer treatments that allowed patients to
function and aesthetics to be rehabilitated immediately. For
example, when a patient comes into our clinic with a fractured
tooth that has to be removed, she leaves the clinic with a
temporary crown fixed on an implant, and this provides a
satisfactory functional and aesthetic result. The Nobel Active®
implant provides exceptional results in such a situation, and the
Advent dental clinic was part of the prelaunch group for that
implant.
We often face patients that are about to lose all of their teeth.
Besides functional and aesthetic considerations, patients are
faced with the psychological concern of losing teeth and
wearing dentures. However, these patients can be treated with
immediate restorations, usually the same day but certainly
within 48 hours.
Our patients receive an immediate prosthesis that is fixed with
retention screws that can only be removed by the dentist in the
clinic, which provides a great opportunity for cleaning on a
follow-up visit. In some cases, due to a lack of bone, patients
require grafting procedures to be able to receive dental
implants. With techniques like All-on-4® that we began using 11
years ago, our patients avoid aggressive and traumatic
procedures of bone grafting and are still able to receive a fixed
restoration on 4 implants.
Thanks to the Cone Beam CT, or to use a popular expression the
3D x-ray, and in combination with planning software, we are
able to predictably plan implant positions, so that restoration
on implants has a more natural appearance
The use of digital techniques also shortens the treatment
time
and increases the quality of rehabilitation with dental
implants.
Thanks to the Cone Beam CT, or to use a popular expression
the
3D x-ray, and in combination with planning software, we are
able to predictably plan implant positions, so that restoration
on implants has a more natural appearance. The use of
digital
intraoral scanners like Ceric allows us to create a crown on a
single implant within 45 minutes, without having to take
uncomfortable impressions.
For bigger restorations, CAD/CAM machines give us the
ability
to produce very precise restorations that are attached to
implants with screws, making them reliable, safe, and
aesthetically superior rehabilitation for our patients.
Change towards the digital era is an irreversible global trend.
With technology developing at a fast pace, digital dentistry
will only become more efficient and user-friendly, allowing
dental professionals to work in even smarter ways than
before. However, the future always brings new challenges. In
this blog post, I share five trends pointing towards a digital
future in dentistry and the challenges ahead
1. A new set of skills among dental professionals
The digital development in dentistry brings the need for an
entirely new set of skills for dental professionals. Even if the
artistic part of the dental process remains, the tools are
different – it is now a matter of digital handicraft skills to
achieve the dental restoration. Consequently, dental education
schools and programs will have to increase their focus on how
to master digital equipment such as CAD/CAM technologies to
educate students in clinical settings.
2. New materials for creating new digital dentistry solutions
As digital technology and using an open digital workflow are
coming into broader use, there will be an increased need for a
wider range of dental materials on the market; fabrics, surfaces
and colors as well as multi-layer materials. More research on
the clinical behavior, applications and biomechanical
characterization of new dental materials will be necessary for
dental professionals to increase their knowledge and
application techniques.
3. Who does what in the dental workflow is shifting
The dental industry is undergoing a shift in who is carrying out
what procedure in the dental workflow. Now that the digital
equipment such as scanners, computer software, and milling
machines have entered the labs, the line between labs and
milling centers is starting to fade. Also, some clinics have the
digital equipment to design and mill prosthetic restorations in
their office (in simpler cases such as the production of
temporary restorations or single crowns). This allows the
dentists to provide dental restorations to patients directly,
without any help from a lab or milling center. This will
ultimately increase competition and put higher demand on
dental professionals to operate as one unit offering
full-in-office services.
4. Software developments and new apps for dental
professionals
With the goal set on increased efficiency, cost reduction, and
higher patient satisfaction, dental professionals now focus on
implementing modern IT solutions in their everyday practice.
The technology of CAD/CAM software already enables for
excellent communication between dentists, technicians, and
patients. But as digital dentistry is overshadowing the
conventional techniques, it will become even easier to
communicate in the future; for example by uploading and
sharing files, providing educational counselling and treatment
plan options, and guiding patients through complex procedures
using smartphone apps.
5. New and stricter regulations for digital dentistry
As technology is moving forward, so will the rules and
regulations for digital dentistry. The approval process for
producing dental components as well as using the digital
equipment will most likely become stricter with time. This is a
positive development as dental companies will have to produce
validated products and use validated work process leading to
increased patient safety. However, it also means manufacturers
and practitioners will need to prepare for inspections from
authorities and notified bodies that will approach the dental
industry through an increased number of inspections in the
future.
Modern dentistry
A microscopic device used in dental analysis, c. 1907
It was between 1650 and 1800 that the science of modern
dentistry developed. The English physician Thomas Browne in
his A Letter to a Friend (c. 1656 pub. 1690) made an early
dental observation with characteristic hum our:
The Egyptian Mummies that I have seen, have had their Mouths
open, and somewhat gaping, which afforded a good
opportunity to view and observe their Teeth, wherein 'tis not
easier to find any wanting or decayed: and therefore in Egypt,
where one Man practiced but one Operation, or the Diseases
but of single Parts, it must needs be a barren Profession to
confine unto that of drawing of Teeth, and little better than to
have been Tooth-drawer unto King Pyrrhus, who had but two in
his Head.
The French surgeon Pierre Fauchard became known as the
"father of modern dentistry". Despite the limitations of the
primitive surgical instruments during the late 17th and early
18th century, Fauchard was a highly skilled surgeon who made
remarkable improvisations of dental instruments, often
adapting tools from watchmakers, jewelers and even barbers,
that he thought could be used in dentistry. He introduced
dental fillings as treatment for dental cavities. He asserted that
sugar derivate acids like tartaric acid were responsible for
dental decay, and also suggested that tumors surrounding the
teeth and in the gums could appear in the later stages of tooth
decay.
Panoramic radiograph of historic dental implants, made 1978
Fauchard was the pioneer of dental prosthesis, and he
discovered many methods to replace lost teeth. He suggested
that substitutes could be made from carved blocks of ivory or
bone. He also introduced dental braces, although they were
initially made of gold, he discovered that the teeth position
could be corrected as the teeth would follow the pattern of the
wires. Waxed linen or silk threads were usually employed to
fasten the braces. His contributions to the world of dental
science consist primarily of his 1728 publication Le chemurgies
dentist or The Surgeon Dentist. The French text included "basic
oral anatomy and function, dental construction, and various
operative and restorative techniques, and effectively separated
dentistry from the wider category of surgery".
A modern dentist's chair
After Fauchard, the study of dentistry rapidly expanded. Two
important books, Natural History of Human Teeth (1771) and
Practical Treatise on the Diseases of the Teeth (1778), were
published by British surgeon John Hunter. In 1763 he entered
into a period of collaboration with the London-based dentist
James Spence. He began to theories about the possibility of
tooth transplants from one person to another. He realized that
the chances of an (initially, at least) successful tooth transplant
would be improved if the donor tooth was as fresh as possible
and was matched for size with the recipient. These principles
are still used in the transplantation of internal organs. Hunter
conducted a series of pioneering operations, in which he
attempted a tooth transplant. Although the donated teeth
never properly bonded with the recipients' gums, one of
Hunter's patients stated that he had three which lasted for six
years, a remarkable achievement for the period.
Major advances were made in the 19th century, and dentistry
evolved from a trade to a profession. The profession came
under government regulation by the end of the 19th century. In
the UK the Dentist Act was passed in 1878 and the British
Dental Association formed in 1879. In the same year, Francis
Brodie Imlach was the first ever dentist to be elected President
of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), raising dentistry
onto a par with clinical surgery for the first time