Digital technologies are now essential in everyday life, also playing a crucial role in dentistry. While a dentist’s skills will remain at the core of dentistry, clinical decision-making will increasingly rely on techniques like augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve dental care. Understanding this changing world will help dental professionals in their everyday practice, both now and in the future.
New versatile digital solutions offer a holistic approach to better address patients’ needs in oral health, as well as restorative and aesthetic treatment. Tools developed to boost chairside conversion like the recently introduced Align Oral Health Suite bring expanded capabilities that can help by delivering an elevated patient experience and engagement while driving oral hygiene and restorative treatment acceptance.*
Accuracy in intra-oral scanners remains a key focus for dental professionals. Dr Elaine Halley, a restorative and aesthetic dentist from Perth in Scotland, notes: “The accuracy of fit enables handling not only single-unit and three-unit bridges but even complex restorative cases going cross-arch.” The iTero Element scanners provide highly accurate scans, bringing efficiency to dental practices by enabling full-mouth scans in under 60 seconds.** This precision supports a 36% reduction in impression remakes*** and meets scientifically validated accuracy standards for restorative needs.**** The iTero scanners consistently deliver precise full-arch scans with reliable marginal fit across various substrates and lighting conditions, and their industry-leading performance is supported by 12 independent studies.
In an upcoming Digital Excellence Series online session, Prof. Tim Joda, the head of eHealth at the Clinic of Reconstructive Dentistry at the University of Zurich, and Dr Francesco Mangano, the president of the Digital Dentistry Society, will outline the current state of dental technology, the role of AI and AR in diagnostics and treatment planning, and discuss how AI will impact the future of dentistry. Scheduled for 20 November at 7:30 pm (CET), this session will explore how AI is shaping the tools used in dental practice. All Digital Excellence Series events are held in English. Admission is complimentary, though registration is required for access. A recording of the session will be available approximately ten days after the live event.