Many dentists have recognized that advanced imaging and CAD/CAM technologies can increase their efficiency and accuracy. In rural areas, these innovations play a central role in delivering outstanding patient care, while enabling practices to expand their offerings. This allows practices the ability to provide a full suite of procedures without asking their patients to drive further away from their home.
Becker's Dental + DSO Review recently spoke with Kirsten Andrews, DDS, owner of Johnson Family Dentistry in Devils Lake, N.D., about Dentsply Sirona’s digital dentistry technologies. She shared how same-day services are lowering the barriers to dental care, especially when patients live an hour or more away from providers.
Thanks to innovative technology, patient interest in dental restoration is growing
Dr. Andrews' father started Johnson Family Dentistry in 1977. When Dr. Andrews graduated from dental school 14 years ago, she moved back to North Dakota and purchased the practice. "Six years ago, we moved to a new location and built a bigger practice," she said. "In our rural community, it’s not unusual for patients to travel an hour to an hour and a half to see me. That has presented both challenges and opportunities for us."
Prior to investing in Dentsply Sirona equipment, Dr. Andrews restored one to two implants per year. One reason was that patients were reluctant to travel 90 miles or more to see a specialist for multiple appointments and wanted me to place their implants. "Now that I am using advanced digital technologies, I place and restore one to two implants per week," Dr. Andrews said. "I started out with the CEREC Bluecam technology, and that allowed me to do same-day crowns. From there it was important to expand my digital dentistry experience with the latest offerings. I added a cone beam CT machine and multiple CEREC chairside milling units. When you purchase equipment from the same company, like Dentsply Sirona, it all works together. It's a seamless process."
Efficient and convenient services can translate into greater patient confidence and trust. As Dr. Andrews noted, "I had a patient come in yesterday for a crown who traveled 50 miles to the office. She was a little nervous and brought a friend with her. Her friend assumed that she would need multiple appointments. My patient wasn't even aware that this is common practice for other dentists. Her friend was amazed when she learned that the crown would be completed in just one visit."
In rural areas, labs are also often located far from dental practices, which impacts efficiency. "The closest lab is two and a half hours from my practice, so sending packages via mail takes time," Dr. Andrews said. "If a patient comes in with a denture that's missing a tooth, I can mill a replacement with the Dentsply Sirona equipment (Primescan/Primemill) and cement it in on the same day. I don't have to send anything away and the patient can leave with a tooth replacement in the same visit."
Dentsply Sirona solutions enable dentists to improve diagnoses and expand their extent of services
Cone beam CT (computed tomography) (CBCT) imaging allows dentists to see dimensions in 3D, which is crucial for making diagnoses. "Sometimes when we take a two-dimensional periapical X-ray, we can't see everything. Once I incorporated Dentsply Sirona's CBCT system with its large field of view, I could see issues that patients weren't even aware they had, and that enhanced my diagnosing," Dr. Andrews said.
Johnson Family Dentistry recently switched to the Dentsply Sirona AxeosTM system that supports 3D and 2D imaging for a wide range of dental indications like implants and clear aligners. This has enabled Dr. Andrews to expand the services that she offers to patients.
"Not only can I place implants much more confidently and accurately, I have also been able to start offering SureSmile aligner therapy. This has been great for the community since the closest orthodontist is 90 miles away. In addition, awareness of airway and obstructive sleep apnea is growing. I can make patients aware of their sleep issues and fabricate a sleep appliance in the office to improve their rest and overall health," Dr. Andrews explained.
Conclusion
With more than 120 years of experience in providing dependable dental products and solutions, Dentsply Sirona has a suite of technologies that fosters digital integration for enhanced workflows, better and more predictable dental outcomes, and higher levels of patient satisfaction. "I love the technology," Dr. Andrews said. "I'm now able to care for patients more completely and accurately."