Embrace digital dentistry

Kasia Jawor looks at the benefits digital technology is bringing in a new era of
dentistry.

Digital technology is nothing new in dentistry, but since the pandemic its far-reaching potential has become even more obvious, helping to remodel clinical practices and put businesses back on the road to recovery.

Changing times
As dental services gradually recover, clinical procedures are having to change significantly to comply with a Covid-secure environment, including the need to minimise the use of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs), and reduce the time that patients spend in the dental chair.

The allowance for fallow time following AGPs is reducing practices’ capacity, and as a consequence there remains a large backlog of patients awaiting dental treatment post-lockdown. This is just one area in which digital technology can be integrated into practice workflows, aiding the speed of diagnosis and treatment by offering the opportunity to increase practice efficiency in a meaningful way.

Improving efficiency
With patient and staff safety a top priority, preventing the spread of infection is uppermost in clinicians’ minds. At the same time, many patients are concerned about returning for dental treatment in the current climate and understandably want to spend as little time as possible in the surgery.