Digital dentistry tools such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence are improving patient care and changing how patients interact with their dentists, according to Rinil Patel, DDS.
Dr. Patel is certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, providing care to patients at Riverside Oral Surgery in Edison, N.J.
Dr. Patel recently spoke with Becker's about the trends he is following in dentistry and the challenges facing dentists.
Editor's note: These responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What are some of the top trends that you are following in the oral surgery field this year?
Dr. Rinil Patel: Some of the top trends I'm starting to notice this year is a big shift into digital dentistry, so that includes 3D scanning, 3D printing and digital designing of teeth. I do see some shifts in robotics and [artificial intelligence] incorporation as well.
At my practice right now, we use a lot of 3D scanning and essentially digital design. So, when a patient comes in for implants when we're doing full mouth rehabilitation, we usually will scan their mouth using a special intra oral scanner, compile that data with their cone beam CT scan that we take in the office as well, and then we can plan out their whole entire surgery of where we're going to place the implants at the exact position we want. We're going to digitally put teeth on those implants, make sure the smile looks correct, [and] we can even place the patient's face to show the patient how their smile will look. Once everybody's on board with that and agrees, then we'll send it to the lab to get [everything] 3D printed, and so then we use that exact guide to place the implants where we want and get the teeth exactly where we want them as well.
Q: What are the benefits of using this technology at your practice?
RP: We see a lot more accuracy and we can provide more consistent results now. The same surgery can be done freehand, but just to be more accurate, you're able to do this with these 3D guides, and that makes sure the implant is going to go in the exact position you want it to and to avoid other structures, such as nerves or the sinus or something like that.
Q: Is there any technology that you've been hesitant to add to your practice?
RP: I think the robotics aspects. There are robotic systems now that we do use in oral surgery. I've always been curious about it. I've seen them at conferences. I've kind of played around with them. The biggest thing is they're very bulky. So, for me, that's kind of my limitation there. I'm waiting for them to be a little bit smaller to navigate around the room itself, versus the patient's mouth.
Q: How are patient expectations influencing the way you approach oral surgery now?
RP: Patient expectations are on the rise. I think social media plays a big part in that. Many patients come more educated to their consultations, whether it be researching online or following TikTok trends or Instagram reels. I think their want of being a part of that conversation in the treatment planning process is [leading them to be] more empowered, and I totally support that. I think having them a part of that treatment planning process makes sure everybody's on the same page, and it ultimately provides the patient with a more positive experience by having them be a part of that decision-making process. When I was younger, I'd go to the dentist and the dentist would say, "Hey, we're gonna do this, this and this," and you said, "okay," open your mouth, and that was it. Now, it's kind of like, "Hey, this is what we're planning to do. This is the rationale behind it. These are other things you could do. What do you want to do?," and we kind of incorporate the patient into the decision-making process.
It creates a lot more increased trust, and I think it also makes the patient feel more comfortable at the end of the day. They want to make sure they get to make a decision as far as getting whatever procedure or surgery they're doing, so I think it ultimately helps them feel good about the procedure itself.
The other thing, too, as far as patient expectations — with the adjunct of everybody using Google reviews, having patients have the chance now to look up doctors and read about doctors is changing how we do things a little bit. So, making sure that patients have that great experience, that optimal experience, is important because when they do leave those reviews, all my patients will come [and say,] "Oh, I saw you had a great review on Google. That's what brought me here." I think it makes a big difference making sure patients do try to leave you a review, or try to get your name out there because I think, ultimately, that helps bring in new patients.
Q: What will be the biggest challenges for dentists this year?
RP: I think rising costs [and] inflation. We're getting hit with that everywhere, but I think overhead in dentistry is increasing, whether it's materials, employee, pay, equipment — it's all going up. That, coupled with most patients' dental insurances having a cap, it's hard to find that balance with what you can charge to offset the overhead, yet stay reasonable within a patient's insurance, so I think it's becoming a little bit more difficult to navigate that aspect.
Q: In what area has inflation hit the hardest for you?
RP: I hate to say this, but I think it's made it so you don't get to spend as much time with your patients now because you have to see more patients. I like to sit there and really talk to my patients. I like to build a relationship with my patients, and with the insurance market the way it is, I feel like you don't get to spend as much time as you'd like because you have to see a higher volume of patients.
Q: Do you think inflation mixed with the insurance caps is leading patients to forgo going to the dentist or doing specialty services like oral surgery?
RP: Yeah, I think in the current market we are in, patients are really driven by, "What is my insurance covering?" A lot of these elective procedures and implants, for instance, some patients only have partial or no coverage. They're electing not to do them right now because with the rising cost of everything else in their lives, spending $1,500 [or] $2,000 for an implant is not their priority, rightfully so.
Q: Are there any strategies you can share for how you're adapting to inflation at your practice to save money in other areas?
RP: I try to go over the pros and cons of why we're doing something. I always tell my patients, if there are other things you have to spend money on that are more important, I would do that first. Some things are elective here. The other thing we do is we try to create payment options. We try to make it easier. We know putting it on your credit card and getting charged 25% a month if you can't pay, it's very negative. It's not good. So, what we try to do is, "Hey, maybe you can pay half now and then in three months when you come back for your next part of your procedure, you pay the [rest,] and I think that helps make it a little bit more fair for patients.