Publication: Montana Woman’s Magazine
Today’s technology is really too much to comprehend. This January, as I attended a dental learning conference, I began to see the future right before my eyes. A husband wife team of specialists, showed me things that I thought couldn’t be done. The current technology has forever changed what is possible in Dentistry.
The nuts and bolts of dentistry will never change. Many patients request the minimum of treatment such as extractions for the relief of pain, or fillings and crowns to treat decay and tooth structure problems. I call this approach, single tooth dentistry. For many patients , it is enough to treat problems as they arise, Frequently this is enough to manage that patients dental care for life. Many patients would benefit from a comprehensive approach to treatment. This is different because the whole system is taken into consideration before treatment decisions are made. When we look at the big picture, how the teeth function as a group, we can make more intelligent decisions, because we have more information. Besides, its gives us more time to think about what we are operating on. This is a good thing. With the current level of sophistication now available to dentistry, we are beginning to glimpse the future of dental care delivery.
Fix it or pull it is what it comes down to much of the time . Brush more, floss more, use fluoride, we have heard it all before. Just pull it doc, it’s killing me. The most rewarding facet of dentistry is the service of relieving acute pain. My most grateful patients are those that have had the thorn removed from their mouths. Today and in the future we will have more to be grateful for. Early detection of decay and oral cancer will prevent tons of pain. 3-D imaging will change how we can see the jaw and plan solutions for tooth replacement. Comfortable and easy methods for treatment of gum disease, and the bugs that cause cavities, can greatly reduce the need for dental treatment and it’s sequelae.
Amazing digital Cad/Cam technology( computer assisted design/computer assisted milling) is revolutionizing dental laboratory procedures and implant dentistry. Did you know you can get teeth in one hour!? This is unusually sophisticated software prosthesis design. These current concepts are exciting for dentistry, if you are a dentist or a patient!
Access to care at this level is limited to the number of professionals performing this level of technology, and the costs associated with treatment. For some, money is more important than teeth, and others are just glad to have some of both. The heartbreaking story of the 12 year old boys death due to a dental infection, has urged the American Dental Association to press for measures that will improve access to care for everyone. I think this is a current dental concept to be embraced! Sure we can fix teeth on the moon but let’s not forget everyone else!
Elective cosmetic treatment isn’t for everyone, but it sure is fun. Number two on the rewarding scale is making a damaged or deformed smile look normal .
Sometimes this is easy as a bonding procedure, done painlessly in a single visit, but the real beauty of technological advances occur when the treatment becomes so complex that a team of doctors and laboratories work together to solve the challenges presented by the patient. This multi-disciplinary approach is a necessary part of comprehensive treatment. It is also another concept of care for the future. In fact just this month I happily received a letter from a local orthodontist, who is encouraging this concept of doctor teamwork.
Education then, must be a current concept, and I firmly believe education is for everyone. Learning to read and write is great, but how about some facts truths and intelligence to live by. Education is so valuable, it is actually required for professionals to continuously learn about current concepts in their profession. It is sad to see some of the ignorance in the world and the effects it has on others. We will talk about saving the world in another column.
Saving the planet is another current concept in dentistry. Although taking over the world isn’t on our agenda, yet, recycling and waste and pollution reduction are. Being scientists makes most doctors aware that man’s toxic behavior is not sustainable or without consequences for the future. Wake up people , we are stinking the place up. Natural harmony does not come from spending all of our energy and resources on making as much money as quickly as we possibly can. I say relax, floss and just act natural, really. I plan for the future by not waiting for the government to tell me what I already know, and think for myself. My new practice will reflect that technology, with careful environmental and energy efficient design for the future. After all I have a kid on the way who is going to need a place to live. Earth, the only place we have. Here’s to the future!
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