Digital Dentistry: How it Increases Patient Quality of Care

In the past decade alone, the dental industry has witnessed a revolution from within. From two-dimensional diagnostics to high-definition 3D dentistry that’s analyzed by specialists at remote partner sites, our patients are deserving of the most advanced oral health care now more than ever before.

Visualizing the Experience for a Higher Case Acceptance Rate

Seeing is believing. Digital dentistry means giving patients the ability to view their oral health needs on monitors to “self-diagnose” problems like decay, impacted teeth, or bone loss, without having a degree in dentistry. As you guide individuals through the visualization of their x-rays and intraoral photography, it’s hard to deny what they can see for themselves.

Some offices even implement a “before and after” makeover system where patients can see what their portrait looks like after undergoing various proposed treatments, such as braces, veneers, clear aligners, or teeth whitening. When placed adjacent to their “before” photo, your patient can visualize what their investment can deliver once the treatment is completed.

Enhanced Quality for Predictable Outcomes

Remember when CAD/CAM dentistry became available? Without any gooey impressions or gagging on your patients’ part, you could take an extremely accurate digital impression of a prepped tooth with no fear of materials warping, bubbling, or cracking. The virtual scanning systems used for stand-alone in-house ceramic crowns are now used for everything from multi-unit bridges to orthodontic impressions. Even if you’re still using an off-site lab to create a restorative or orthodontic prosthesis, you can save valuable time by avoiding the transportation and processing of a conventional impression.

Without the fear of or room for human error, digitized dental equipment means fewer re-appointments, no re-impressions, and a faster, accurate delivery of your fixed or removable appliance.

Highly Efficient Procedures Reduce Treatment Time

Conebeam imaging is just one example of how patients now have access to faster, better treatment. Dentists can now place dental implants using computer guided technology, when these patients would have previously been told that they would never be a candidate due to unique or specific anatomical bone needs. Digital dentistry changes the lives of the patients being cared for.

This same 3D imaging allows technologies used for orthodontic treatment planning and diagnosis to pinpoint unique tooth movements and create a virtual mock-up of the overall treatment experience before therapy even starts. Due to the omission of human error in treatment planning and diagnosis, orthodontists can assure that they’ve empowered their patients with the very best possible outcome (assuming patients are compliant in all areas with their treatment plan!)

Access to Professional Support Outlets

At CephX, we understand better than anyone how digital dentistry brings professionals together to collaborate in the patient care experience. As you may know, we offer cephalometric X-ray analysis through AlgoCeph technology so that orthodontists and orthodontic providers can have their patients’ images analyzed, marked, and returned back to the practitioner in an extremely short period of time. This frees the orthodontist up from having to tediously mark up the cephalometric images for each patient, without compromising their quality of services or spending less time with their patients.

Opening Teledentistry Opportunities Free of Geographical Barriers

Teledentistry is quickly gaining ground when it comes to bringing patients in touch with dentists and specialists like orthodontic providers. Now, people can snap a photo or even take an impression of their teeth to start the consultation process for handling a dental emergency or even begin an orthodontic treatment. While these may not always be the choice method of starting patient treatment, they dissolve geographical barriers or even financial hindrances when it comes to individuals and their families getting access to the oral health services that they need.

In fact, teledentistry is such a big thing now, that dental boards are adopting appropriate legislative steps to ensure that both patients and providers are protected. This means that patients can only receive “care” or consultations with licensed dentists, without having to fear that the person on the other end of the wire is putting on a false front.

Less Space to Safely Store Patient Records.

HIPAA compliant cloud-based data storage means that dentists and orthodontists can save their patient files securely on the world wide web. As such, multi-location practices can access charts at any time, without having to transfer records or worrying about losing a paper file.

Small practice owners can free up space in storage or their reception area, as no physical areas need to be set aside to store patient files.

Programs like CephX’s AlgoCeph system mean that orthodontists can even access their patients’ records from mobile devices and iPads in or out of the practice. Everything is securely backed-up and secured, so that 3rd party access isn’t a concern. Yet it’s available at an instant, so that you never have to worry about misplacing or losing a file during your patient consultations.

Virtual Treatments With Data Read-Outs for Enhanced Accuracy

With the touch of a button, dentists and specialists can now see real-time analysis during clinical procedures (such as root canal therapy) on a monitor adjacent to their patient. From analyzing the pressure involved to performing accurate measurements in and around the teeth, dentists can know they’re providing extremely meticulous restorative work in every situation that they find themselves in.

Changing Everyday Dental Care in Your Practice

At CephX, digital dentistry has transformed the way our radiographic and orthodontic experts work with orthodontists and general practitioners worldwide. When you see patients for an orthodontic consult and record a cephalometric film, you can use our secure, cloud-based system to have the image thoroughly screened and analyzed in just a matter of seconds. That way you can spend more time talking with your patients, answering questions, and less time away from the chair.

What’s preventing you from providing the very best in orthodontic care to your patients? Do you need the assurance of working with a team of orthodontists and analysts to provide greater efficiency and productivity in your practice? Digital dentistry may be the solution. We invite you to contact CephX today to learn more about our AlgoCeph technology and cloud resources for the independent and multi-group practice.