It’s no surprise that the internet has changed dentistry just as much as the rest of the world around us.

While you might initially think that the world wide web has nothing to do with the way you treat a patient in your dental chair, we at CephX beg to differ. In fact, dentists that go online are able to provide resources and services to their patients that they otherwise never would be able to.

Here are a few examples…

Study Groups and Continuing Education

Being in a dental study club doesn’t mean driving an hour away once a month anymore. Now you can find like-minded professionals who share cases, experiences, and data online 24/7. If you’re passionate about a particular type of orthodontic therapy or new technique, you can share your same interests with others…even if there’s no one in your physical vicinity.

Cloud sharing resources allow you to safely and securely share images or notes regarding cases to offer advice, experience, or insight on new data that’s coming out.

Formal CE providers are finding that mail-in self-taught courses are a thing of the past. While many state boards used to not grant credit toward online learning courses, many are starting to change that. Depending on where you live, most areas allow dentists to learn online or at least fill a portion of their continuing education requirements with credits offered over the internet by approved sources.

If the nation’s top colleges can do it, so can continuing dental education providers!

On-Demand Videos for Training and Professional Development

Distance learning has been around for well over a decade. In the past, it was restricted to text you read on your own time and a mail-in quiz or essay that you had to complete. Gradually it phased into videos you watched on a home television and had to mail back. Thankfully, it’s better now than it ever has been before. Now, people are learning just because they want to…not because it’s a mandatory part of their license renewal.

Today’s modern self-directed education involves live webinars where you can interact with experts in other time zones, or oven YouTube surgical procedures for a first-hand look at a particular technique. Internet learning and on-demand educational resources for dentists provides some of the best learning tools than have ever been available. Some might even say there’s too much to choose from!

If there’s anything you want to learn about to improve your current skills — whether it’s interceptive orthodontic techniques or mapping out anatomical landmarks — it’s simply at your fingertips. You just have to hop online and do a quick search for it.

Real-Life Advice for Hard to Manage / Unique Patient Cases

Even the most experienced dental practitioner can sometimes have their doubts about a particular patient case. Maybe they’ve run into a wall when it comes to treating a chronic problem or relapse issue that has never come up before. Networking online with other dentists and specialists enables providers to receive guidance from those who have dealt with similar patient cases in a successful manner. As such, they can troubleshoot problems before things get worse, and provide their patient with the best outcome possible. Rather than having to refer your patient out for a second opinion, you can have extra eyes see the same things that you do, without ever having to step foot inside of your practice.

Digital Dentistry and Teledentistry Enhances Quality of Care by Widening Their Access to Other Technology

With the aid of teledentistry methods and the ability to electronically transfer patient data (such as digital ceph films,) dentists can access resources that might not otherwise be available in their own physical practice.

For instance, if a particular piece of technology is available for use digitally, the dentist can upload their patient’s information or data to remotely access the tools made available. This way they can bypass more tedious, unfamiliar, or lengthy steps that would otherwise have to be used. How else is it possible for labs on the completely opposite side of the world to work in real-time with orthodontic specialists and providers? It isn’t!

Work Smarter. Not Harder.

Being a committed worker is important, no matter if you’re an orthodontist or the receptionist setting appointments. Hard work means good work and respect…both among your peers as well as your dentists. But sometimes it’s better to work smarter instead of pouring extra energy into your work, when there’s a better way to do things. Being exhausted doesn’t necessarily mean that you did things better.

That’s exactly what today’s modern orthodontic providers have to do:

decide when to do the work themselves, implement technology that makes the task easier, or delegate it to someone who can do it for them. With the internet, the latter two are no problem. Whether you’re crowdsourcing for better ways to treat something, looking for a specialist to refer to, or need to assign the step to someone who can put extra time back into your hands, there are more options than you previously thought.

Case in Point: Revolutionizing Your Orthodontic Services

At CephX we know first-hand how the internet has revolutionized dental care. Our experts work with orthodontists and dentists worldwide to provide fast, live, reliable resources in patient care. As such, our clients are able to confidently treat their patients in a more efficient and predictable manner.

That’s exactly what today’s modern orthodontic providers have to do:

What does CephX do to help? We use technology that’s compatible with all operating systems and devices, so that dentists can store patient records and receive professional cephalometric analysis within a matter of seconds. When you don’t have time to spare or would rather an expert provide the service for you, our dentists and orthodontists accurately examine and measure your patient’s digital images to record all of the information that you need.

CephX users can access records anywhere (even their mobile device) with the confidence of knowing their patient records are securely stored.

Ready to find out more about our on demand AlgoCeph and analysis services? Contact CephX today. We’re a leading global provider of cephalometric diagnostics and labeling, empowering dentists and orthodontics with more freedom and time for hands-on clinical patient care. Request your complimentary consultation to get started.