Digital dentistry can be defined as any dental technology or a dental device that incorporates computer-controlled or digital components rather than being mechanical or electrical alone.
Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing (CAD & CAM) are a common example.
- Decreased Surgical Times
Digital Dentistry has given us the ability to pre-plan simple and complex dental surgeries. From simple dental implant placements using surgical implant guides to advanced full-arch implant restorations with the use of bone reduction guides and MUA guides has dramatically decreased surgical times, and thus improving surgical outcomes.
- Bioprinting & 3d Printing
3D printing is one of the fastest growing technologies in various industries and the dental industry is capitalizing on the digital breakthroughs. The current trend is CAD/CAM to mill a tooth from a 3D scan or intraoral scanner. Future technologies in digital dentistry will include bioprinting and 3D printing. Some institutes are working on formulas that could add tooth decay-fighting chemicals to 3D printed teeth.
- Preventing Oral Diseases
Numerous digital dental inventions focus on the prevention of dental diseases and problems. Several companies are spending millions of dollars on R & D in designing toothbrushes that are fitted with various technological attachments such as location tracking device and cameras that show you the areas of the mouth where you are not brushing properly, or a timer that indicates how long you brush, and pressure sensors that will warn you if you brush too hard.
Other companies are going beyond and creating sensors that will have the ability to detect various oral diseases from your mouth tissue or saliva. These sensors could even monitor your heart rate, detect bad breath and blood alcohol levels. A pH sensor could detect acidic saliva which causes tooth decay. All these innovations will detect diseases before they become serious.
