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visit to the dentist is a chore at best, a nightmare at worst. The scraping, the drilling, the discomfort of keeping your jaw wide open while attempting to answer the hygienist’s small talk — all these make things unpleasant… and the irritation level skyrockets with the need for any additional work. It’s no wonder that approximately 15 percent of Americans avoid going to the dentist at all. But don’t cancel that next appointment just yet — like countless industries today, dentistry has received a digital facelift that’s modernized the conventional visit.
Thanks to innovations in software and equipment, dental work is more accurate, more streamlined, and, most importantly, more comfortable. “In the last decade, technology has dramatically improved dental practice,” states Dr. Edward Farkas, vice dean and chairman of dentistry at the recently established Touro College of Dental Medicine. “Digital dentistry equipment has revolutionized standard procedures including implants, orthodontia, and crowns. With a simple scan, we are able to treat patients with a virtually nonexistent margin of error, in a shorter amount of time, and with greater comfort and precision.”
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT
The capabilities of new and emerging dental technology are staggering, and they’re equally helping patients and dentists when it comes to implants, crowns, and dentures. What once was a gag-inducing and often painful affair is now completely transformed. “Even the most skilled dentists and lab technicians are naturally not infallible, and even tiny distortions in the impression can lead to improper fit and discomfort,” says Dr. Farkas.
With digital dentistry — and specifically the usage of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture (CAD and CAM) — the experience is entirely transformed. The patient’s mouth is scanned using an intraoral scanner or camera (no need to open wide), the apparatus is 3-D printed and inserted, and the satisfied customer leaves the office with an intact (and genuine) smile.
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