Application of Technology in Dentistry

Technology in dentistry and medicine has both risks and benefits, but the benefits outweigh the risks that are carried for the patient. Diagnosing and treating in healthcare has evolved dramatically since the adoption of technology. Decades ago, visiting the dentist wasn’t something a person desired to do or had a positive experience with. Technology has had a big impact in how both dentistry and medicine are practiced. Technology is the reason that practicing dentistry and medicine is much different than how it was many decades ago. Because of technology diagnosing and treating has become better in many ways. Nowadays, a patient doesn’t have to wait extended periods, and spend many weeks in pain. The faster the patient is diagnosed and know their diagnoses is a great thing because it means that they are able to be treated sooner. The sooner a patient is the better because it could make their treatment more successful. We will be discussing the many impacts technology has had in both dentistry and medicine. Also, we will discuss the types of medical technology that are used in both dentistry and medicine, specifically diagnostic imaging.

Everyday technology is changing and improving the fields of dentistry and medicine. Dentistry dates back all the way into 7000 B.C., but descriptions which were related to dentistry weren’t available until 5000 B.C. (History of Dentistry). The technology that is used nowadays and still being developed to this day is due to the trials, errors and experiments that were done in the last thousands of years. Dental treatment was very different in the past than it is in the present. In the past, the clear understanding of how, what, and why pain and decay were caused was very limited. As time passed, civilizations began to develop and improve technology. For example, Greek civilizations established dental and medical centers. The dental treatment at this time was in its early stages and just beginning to develop. The beginning of the 20th century brought dentistry many advances in the equipment, care, and instruments and restorative available to them. Technology in dentistry has been and will continue to be valuable and significant in assuring that the patient care provided continues to be excellent (Manos, Nicholas, and Renata Budny). Technology in dentistry has advanced a lot and is continuing to change, because of technology dental professionals are now able to be more efficient and accurate (Gupta, Shashank).

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Technology is such an important part of dentistry and medicine, and has drastically improved these fields from how they were in the past. There are many different technologies that are used in dentistry and medicine, that allow for the operator to better treat and diagnose a patient. An example of technology that is used in dentistry and medicine is imaging. Imaging has revolutionized and improved diagnosis. Imaging is only one example of many technologies that are used in these fields (‘Diagnostic Imaging in Dentistry’). Diagnostic imaging is just one of many technologies that have improved patient diagnosing and treatment. Because of technology many other things such as dental chairs, dental handpieces, lasers, digital cameras, anesthesia, radiology, and toothbrushes have improved because of technology. Another technological equipment that has become important in dentistry are computers. These are just some examples of the technology that is used in dentistry everyday (‘Dental Technology Over 150 Years: Evolution and Revolution’).

In dentistry there are a variety of imaging machinery that are used in dentistry which are CT machines, panoramic and cephalometric machines, Intraoral imaging machines, and MRI machines. Imaging is digital and can be intraoral or extraoral. Intraoral imaging equipment are used more commonly in dental offices and are very detailed which allow the detection of conditions and monitoring the health of the structures in the mouth. An example would be the detection and monitoring of caries. The digital images that these extraoral imaging machines produce the detail that the intraoral digital images do. The types of extraoral machines that are used are panoramic machines, CT machines, MRI machines, and Sialography. Unlike in intraoral imaging where the receptor is placed inside of the patient's mouth, these types of imaging machines don’t require to be placed inside the mouth. These different types of extraoral imaging machines are used for different purposes and with each of these imaging machines you can view different structures differently. Panoramic imaging machines produce images used to look for jaw problems, impacted third molars, or cysts and tumors. Another type of extraoral imaging used in dentistry is computed tomography, which are also known as CT machines. There are two types of CT scans which are multislice computed tomography (MCT) and cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT). The CBCT allows dental professionals to identify many problems like bone fractures or tumors and evaluate areas prior to and after difficult surgical procedures and also evaluate bone. The CMT allows dental professionals to view different layers of the oral cavity. This type of imaging allows you to view one layer as it blurs the other layer, which allows us to view an area which is difficult to view clearly. Lastly, another type of imaging there is to discuss is Sialography. This type of extraoral imaging allows us to visualize salivary glands by injecting a dye, which is a contrast agent that is radiopaque, into the salivary glands (‘Digital Dental Radiography - Digital Imaging in the Dental Office’).

These different types of imaging have improved diagnosing conditions and helped make treatments more successful. Intraoral imaging allows dental professionals to view the different aspects of the teeth. In intraoral imaging, imaging has helped dental professionals find problems in the mouth which goes unseen in an oral exam. This type of imaging can help diagnose problems like tooth decay, loss or changes of bone, cysts, or abscesses. Using this type of imaging in dentistry is great for the patient because they are able to get a diagnosis much faster so that they can avoid dealing with discomfort. Extraoral imaging allows dental professionals to diagnose conditions of the skull and jaw, which then allow for a treatment plan to be made. Panoramic imaging, which is a type of extraoral imaging, allows for the diagnosis tumors and teeth which are impacted. The cone beam computed tomography allows the dental professional to diagnose tumors and cysts that are located in the mouth or face. The CBCT allows for a dental professional to make a diagnosis because of how high quality and accurate the images produced are. All of these types of imaging allow for the dental professional to make a quicker diagnosis because they don’t have to wait a long time to view the images. They can view the images shortly after they were taken (‘Dental X-Rays’).

There are many benefits in having imaging in dentistry but there are always risks in imaging too. One of the many benefits of imaging in dentistry is that the digital images can be seen immediately after it is taken. Another benefit is that the image can be sent out electronically so that it can be viewed by a specialist that a patient was referred to and the images detail and contrast can be enhanced. A major benefit in imaging in dentistry is that the images can reveal very small areas that are hidden between other structures like teeth. It can also reveal infections of bone, periodontal disease, cysts, developmental abnormalities, or abscesses. One very important problem that imaging can discover is tumors which can’t be seen with just an examination. Also, another reason why imaging is beneficial to the patient is because it allows for early detection of problems which means that a patient can get treatment sooner and this saves the patient from experiencing discomfort and can save them money (‘Digital Dental Radiography - Digital Imaging in the Dental Office’). There are also some risks to imaging in dentistry such as that the radiation dose received can contribute to the incidence of certain cancers in the neck and head region. For example, a type of cancer that it could possibly contribute to is thyroid cancer because of the location in which the thyroid gland is located. Another possible risk for the dental patient would be that after repeated exposure there may be multiple problems that could develop like tumors in the neck and head (Hwang, Su-Yeon).

In conclusion, technology in dentistry has advanced greatly over the years and is continuing to improve. There are various types of technology used in dentistry with digital imaging being a piece of technology in dentistry. Digital imaging machines have become very important for dental professionals so that they are able to better diagnose and treat a patient. As mentioned earlier, there is a variety of digital imaging machines used in dentistry which can show different structures from a different view. This technology allows for the diagnosing of conditions that cannot be seen with just an examination. Imaging allows for a better and more accurate diagnosis of a patient's condition. There are both risks and benefits to the patient in imaging but the benefits outweigh the risks. I believe that the benefits in dental imaging outweigh the risks that it carries to a patient. I believe that the benefits outweigh the risks because of how many types of imaging machines there are and the wide variety of conditions that they can diagnose and allow the dental professionals to treat. Also, imaging allows for the dentist to diagnose the conditions that cannot be seen in plain sight and that are hiding as previously stated. There will always be a risk in imaging and in any other technological equipment used in dentistry but over the years the risks have decreased and also it is more dangerous for the patient to not have and digital images taken and not know whether there is something abnormal occurring, rather than taking an X-ray and discovering a problem and treating it.

Works Cited

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