Health care is being changed dramatically by the marriage of computers and telecommunications. Implications for hospitals and physicians already have received extensive media attention, but comparatively little has been said about the impact of information technology on dentistry. This article illustrates how the digital transformation will likely affect dentists and their patients.
Conclusions
Based on recent experiences of hospitals and medical practices, dentists can expect to encounter revolutionary changes as a result of the digital transformation. The Internet, the World Wide Web and other developments of the information revolution will redefine patient care, referral relationships, practice management, quality, professional organizations and competition.
Practice Implications
To respond proactively to the digital transformation of oral health care, dentists must become familiar with its technologies and concepts. They must learn what new information technology can do for them and their patients and then develop creative applications that promote the profession and their approaches to care.
Section snippets
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF DENTISTRY
Although dental science and technology made remarkable advances during the 20th century, the nonclinical aspects of day-to-day practice changed relatively little in comparison. Diagnostic images were recorded and stored on film throughout the century, even though the tools of radiology and intraoral photography constantly improved. Patient records were paper documents stored on shelves or in file cabinets. Only the method of writing changed—from fountain pen to typewriter to word processor.
TELEDENTISTRY
Teledentistry will be the clinical dimension of the new doctor-patient relationship. Although the term has not yet entered our everyday vocabulary, it should quickly become a cornerstone of modern dental practice. A recent definition of telemedicine helps identify the emerging realm of teledentistry:
“Telemedicine is the combined use of telecommunications and computer technologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care services by liberating caregivers from traditional
E-COMMERCE
Although dentist-patient interactions (generically called business-to-consumer, or B2C) will develop substantially during the coming years, most e-commerce in health care has been business-to-business, or B2B. Dentists already can participate in the B2B marketplace by ordering equipment, processing claims, buying supplies, registering for continuing education courses, making travel arrangements, consulting library resources, placing advertisements and participating in auctions. Many more B2B
IMPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES
The digital transformation of oral health care promises many exciting changes during the next few years. However, like any revolution, it will not be easy or painless. Initially, there will be several skeptics for every true believer. Some traditionalists will oppose teledentistry openly—refusing to believe that its initial problems can be solved. Many people and organizations will struggle to cope with learning to use a keyboard or mastering the new vocabulary of the electronic age.
CONCLUSION
Anyone who questions the likelihood of such outcomes should study existing health care Web sites (Box, “Health Care Information on the Web: Sample Sites”). He or she will see that many services commonly associated with the future are already here. The good news is that the digital transformation of oral health care is in its early stages of development, and now is not too late to join the revolution. Visionary leaders still have a chance to shape its progress from within the profession if they
Customization and the production of patient-specific devices, tailoring the unique anatomy of each patient's jaw and facial structures, are the new frontiers in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. As a technological advancement, additive manufacturing has been applied to produce customized objects based on 3D computerized models. Therefore, this paper presents advances in additive manufacturing strategies for patient-specific devices in diverse dental specialties.
This paper overviews current 3D printing techniques to fabricate dental and maxillofacial devices. Then, the most recent literature (2018–2023) available in scientific databases reporting advances in 3D-printed patient-specific devices for dental and maxillofacial applications is critically discussed, focusing on the major outcomes, material-related details, and potential clinical advantages.
The recent application of 3D-printed customized devices in oral prosthodontics, implantology and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, orthodontics, and endodontics are presented. Moreover, the potential application of 4D printing as an advanced manufacturing technology and the challenges and future perspectives for additive manufacturing in the dental and maxillofacial area are reported.
Additive manufacturing techniques have been designed to benefit several areas of dentistry, and the technologies, materials, and devices continue to be optimized. Image-based and accurately printed patient-specific devices to replace, repair, and regenerate dental and maxillofacial structures hold significant potential to maximize the standard of care in dentistry.
2022, Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences
Citation Excerpt :
Most of the available studies in the literature found that teledentistry is an effective method for patient screening, diagnosis, evaluating emergencies, monitoring treatments, long-term follow-up, consulting, and proposing dental treatment plans.9 Caries detection, preliminary diagnosis of oral pathologies, and general oral health assessments could also be conducted with teledentistry.13,14 However, few studies have assessed these possibilities using an interventional study design, but three randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted to assess teledentistry.15–17
Teledentistry conveniently delivers dental care when in-person visits are restricted, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess Saudi Arabian patients’ accuracy, perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and challenges regarding teledentistry used for diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its accuracy, versus traditional dental visits.
A single-blind, parallel-group randomised controlled trial design was used. The 70 participants were randomised equally into study and control groups. While the control group waited, the study group received teledentistry diagnoses which were compared with baseline clinical examinations retrieved from the UQU dental hospital, Makkah, KSA. After the intervention was completed, all participants answered a questionnaire.
There were no significant differences between the groups in knowledge or attitudes regarding teledentistry. However, study group participants had more favourable experiences with teledentistry. They reported good accuracy with diagnosis and recording of their chief complaints (74.3%), number of missing teeth (74.3%), number of filled teeth (71.4%), and oral hygiene status (65.7%). Additionally, moderate accuracy was reported on recording of health complaints (51.4%) and number of decayed teeth (40.?%). The number of decayed teeth and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF) index scores reported using teledentistry were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than reported in the baseline examinations.
Teledentistry is widely accepted by patients and can be efficient for preliminary examinations, particularly during pandemic lockdowns or in more frequently occurring situations such as severe weather conditions, but subsequent clinical examination is necessary for maximally accurate diagnoses.
2022, American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Digital scanning, treatment planning, 3-dimensional imaging, and printing are changing the practice of orthodontics. These tools are adopted with the hope that treatment becomes more predictable, efficient, and effective while reducing adverse outcomes. Digital tools are impacting care, but knowledge of nationwide adoption trends and motivators is incomplete.
We aimed to identify adoption decision-makers, information sources, incentives, and barriers through the first nationwide survey of American Association of Orthodontics members on their technology adoption habits, needs, and outcomes. Data were assessed using descriptive and bivariate analyses. The survey was developed from a comprehensive qualitative interview phase as part of a mixed methodology study.
Responses (n = 343) revealed orthodontists make adoption decisions on the basis of advice from other dentists and company representatives while rarely consulting staff or research literature. Continuing education and meetings are most effective at disseminating information to practicing doctors, whereas journals generate less impact. Key adoption incentives include added capabilities, practice efficiency, ease of implementation, and performance, whereas cost is the main barrier to purchase. Early adopters with larger practices charge higher fees than other adopters to support the costs of technologies. Treatment outcome is not a primary adoption incentive for specific technologies.
Orthodontists positively perceive the influence of intraoral scanning, cone-beam computed tomography imaging, 3-dimensional printing, computer-aided design–computer-aided manufacturing archwires, and clear aligner therapy on their practice and patient care. The orthodontic technological transformation is underway, and knowledge of adoption can guide our transition into modern practice, in which digital tools are effective adjuncts to the specialists' expertise.
Literature on external searches for technological knowledge offers empirical evidence from suppliers, universities or consultants acting as intelligent agents and enabling traditional organizations to acquire the knowledge they lack to successfully depart from their pre-digital era (Terjesen & Patel, 2017; Trantopoulos, Von Krogh, Wallin, & Woerter, 2017; Un and Asakawa, 2015). Furthermore, strategizing has also been investigated among advertisers, innovators, marketers and business developers (Pagani and Pardo, 2017), and organizations operating in traditional sectors such as healthcare (Bauer and Brown, 2001), as well as the steel industry (Branca et al., 2020). The business field, however, still lacks a rich discussion, as well as conceptual and empirical work, explaining how the aforementioned findings apply to the digital transformation of traditional organizations (Table 1).
Although digital transformation has significantly attracted scholarly attention beyond information systems, little is known whether traditional organizations can be digitally transformed alone. Knowledge of this process is important as traditional organizations risk failing to achieve digital transformation due to their lack of understanding about digitalization. This research proposes a conceptual framework, which approaches the digital transformation of traditional organizations as a coordinated sequence of specific relationships. The research propositions first outline the relationship between alliance knowledge and digital transformation as a necessary but not absolute condition for the digitalization of traditional conditions. Effectively, therefore, the constructs of absorptive capacity and strategic interdependence are considered to be boundary conditions to this relationship. Insights are also provided into traditional organizations’ levels of absorptive capacity (high vs. low) as well as into the levels of interdependence between them and their partners (symmetry vs. asymmetry), which both determine the outcomes of digital transformation. Concurring with these propositions, this framework advances our understanding of why traditional organizations struggle to be digitally transformed alone and provides implications for both theory and practice.
2019, American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Orthodontics is evolving with advances in 3D imaging, additive fabrication, digital scanning, and treatment planning. With digital tools, orthodontic treatment may become more predictable, efficient, and effective while reducing side-effects. These technologies are affecting patient care, but knowledge of their adoption patterns and influence is incomplete. We aimed to identify adoption decision makers, information sources, perspectives, incentives, and barriers.
Twenty-four privately practicing orthodontists were interviewed in a semistructured format following a topic guide. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify factors in technology adoption and its perceived influence on practice. Thematic patterns were established through iterative systematic analysis, and qualitative validity was ensured with researcher triangulation.
Qualitative interviews revealed that orthodontists make purchasing decisions independently from staff, after consulting other dentists and company representatives. Meetings, residency training, and continuing education courses are influential information sources, whereas research literature is not. Early and middle adopters are integrating digital imaging, planning, and fabrication technologies into practice and view enhanced ease of use, capabilities, performance, and procedural efficiency as primary incentives to adoption. Improving outcomes and patient comfort are not frequently cited as incentives, and all interviewees view cost as the largest barrier. Orthodontists positively perceive the influence of technology on their practices, but are concerned that further innovation and direct-to-consumer products will cause loss of market share.
CAD/CAM appliances, 3D imaging, and digital treatment planning are viewed as future standards of care and are increasingly being incorporated into the orthodontic office. Understanding the technology adoption process can guide innovation to improve treatment and ease the transition into a digital workflow.
Dr. Bauer is senior vice president, Superior Consultant Company Inc., Southfield, Mich., a provider of digital business transformation services to the health care industry.
