Several kinds of technology have been introduced to the dental field in recent years to improve care and optimize dental practice operations. These technologies have continued to expand in the field with innovations and increased use among dental professionals.
Here are four kinds of technology that are changing how dentistry is performed:
Robotics
The use of robotic technology is continuing to grow in the dental industry, with several practices adding robotic technology to procedures.
Yomi, manufactured by Neocis, is the only FDA-cleared robot-assisted dental surgery system in the U.S. being used by 150 dentists nationwide. While the system has been used in the preoperative and intraoperative phases of dental implant surgery, Neocis recently launched a bone reduction feature that allows providers to plan bone reduction using a patient’s CT scan and perform treatments with robotic guidance.
Dental professionals are also looking toward the possibility of remote robotic dentistry. Chad Carpenter, DDS, of Rapid City, S.D., is working with a team of biomedical engineers at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology to develop a prototype that would allow dentists to perform remote robotic dentistry.
Aerosol protection system
Mujahid Asamarai, a first-year dental student at the Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine in Newark, N.J., was recently granted a patent for his dental aerosol protection system. Mr. Asamarai used a CAD program and a 3D printer to create the system. It includes an adjustable, self-balancing shield that is placed between the patient and practitioner to block aerosols from the patient’s mouth and a 3D-printed aerosol collection funnel. The system is currently being used at several offices in New Jersey.
Clear aligners
Several dental companies have developed clear aligner systems, often using other innovations to create products and provide care.
Dental 3D printing company LuxCreo launched LuxAlign, a same-day clear aligner printing system that can produce clear aligners in two hours after an initial oral scan. OrthoFX also received FDA clearance for its NiTime Aligners, the first system designed to be worn at night and cuts down daily wear time to nine to 12 hours. The aligners utilize a hyper-elastic polymer, allowing for reduced wear time without increasing treatment length.
Carbon, a 3D dental printing company, created a new production workflow for clear aligners. The Gen 2 aligner model solution can decrease material consumption by 40 percent and increase throughput by 65 percent.
In February, teledentistry company SmileDirectClub launched CarePlus, a clear aligner service that includes 24/7 concierge access, remote and in-person check-ins with dentists and two years' worth of retainers after treatment.
Artificial intelligence
Dental companies have expanded their product and service offerings in recent months with plans to launch more later this year.
VideaHealth gained FDA 510(k) clearance for its interproximal bone level measurement tool for periodontal disease assessment. It also received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for Videa Assist, its dental AI imaging technology. Call management software company Patient Prism also launched an AI-powered patient call monitoring system for dental practices. The platform analyzes patient conversations and provides feedback via text and email, including a synopsis of conversations and recommendations for calls that do not result in booked appointments.
SoftSmile's Vision software was recently named the winner of the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program and said it has 30 patents pending as it looks to expand its product portfolio this year.