More and more technological advances are being presented in the world of dentistry, especially in recent years. There are a multitude of innovative dental treatments that provide alternatives to solve all types of oral problems. Dr. Vila Dorca, specialist in Dentistry and Stomatology, explains the latest advances in digital dentistry and its advantages when applying certain treatments and solutions.
How important is digital dentistry today?
Digital dentistry in our clinic is the basis for any treatment. It allows us to diagnose, design and plan treatments before starting them, so the patient can see the results he or she will get. This aspect is very important for them to understand the process they will need to carry out their treatment.
What treatments can be performed?
Digital dentistry has arrived in our clinics to stay, improving our daily work and patient comfort. We can plan an implant surgery, elaborate a smile design for a patient who wants to improve his dental esthetics or an orthodontic treatment. It is a very useful tool to be able to address all dental specialties.
What are the advantages of digital dentistry?
The advantages of digital dentistry have been demonstrated in numerous studies developed in recent years. For example, with the intraoral scanner we can scan the patient in a moment. Quickly, conveniently and without the need for impression materials. On the part of the clinic, it allows us to optimize chair time, avoiding errors and materials, also having a much more fluid communication with the laboratory.
What is cad-cam and what possibilities does it offer?
CAD-CAM stands for Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). It consists of capturing the structures of the patient’s mouth by means of intraoral scanning and then designing and producing the missing dental structures in the mouth by means of milling machines that allow us to customize all treatments. The treatment possibilities are infinite, since nowadays more biocompatible materials are used, so we obtain better and minimally invasive results.
What are the most important technological advances in your specialty?
The most important technological advances that we have, technologically speaking, is Computer Navigated Surgery. It is a system that allows us to proceed with the placement of dental implants in a navigated manner. This allows us to know where we are working at all times during the surgery. Therefore, the surgery is minimally invasive, with no postoperative pain and a very fast recovery.