The dental industry is continuously evolving. While COVID-19 continues to present challenges for the dental industry, there are dental trends that are causing a positive impact on the industry and helping dental professionals succeed in today’s time.
In order to adapt to the transition towards the “new normal” and accommodate shifting patient needs, the dental industry has adopted a new set of technologies and advanced practices to uphold the best dental care.
To keep you updated about how the industry is evolving through these tough times, here are the latest trends in dentistry that you should know about:
3D Printing
3D printing has come a long way in recent years – serving various industries like business, technology, medicine, and now dentistry.
With these technologies, dental treatment is foreseen to be less time-consuming. In general, prosthodontists and dentists use 3D printers to create custom dental products, like dentures, clear teeth aligners, surgical guides, and dental crowns, in a matter of minutes. This is better than conventional laboratory-made restorations, which take days or weeks to make.
The dental devices are made specifically using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology. With these, the devices are dimensionally precise and more aesthetically pleasing. They also have fewer structural limitations, which make them significantly more durable.
More and more dental professionals are investing in 3D printing technology today, and the following decade holds a promising future of CAD-CAM technology not only to create dental restoration devices but possibly even to produce 3D printed teeth.
This dental trend can be potentially used for both short- and long-term dental treatment. By 2025, the 3D printing market for the dental industry is expected to reach 930 million dollars.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is known to be one of the latest trends in the dental industry that is also continuously growing in almost every industry.
When it comes to dental or clinical practices, AI helps dentists with daily tasks, such as booking appointments, sending reminders, and communicating with patients. Using a large amount of data, AI can also assist dental professionals in predicting diseases and possible lesions.
In addition, AIs are also able to recommend patients the most appropriate dental care services based on their records. These technologies can also be trained to attend to the dentist’s needs using voice commands to maximize time for quality patient care.
Although the dental industry has been slow to adopt AI, the dental trend is expected to improve the efficiency of dental practices and provide better patient experiences.
Digital Marketing
With several industries becoming more dependent on digital systems and equipment for their digital marketing efforts, the dental industry is among the industries to use this dental trend for their market opportunities.
Traditionally, dental practices have been operating on a smaller scale without a huge digital marketing budget. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting every industry and market, online marketing has become a necessity for a lot of dental practices.
Today, several dentists are using physical impressions to fabricate veneers and crowns. This is because digital impressions are dimensionally stable and more accurate. They can also be effortlessly integrated with CAD-CAM systems in the chairside construction of dental restoration devices.
Furthermore, social media has become a low-cost means to help dentists showcase their dental practices to potential patients. In fact, a survey found that one in three dental patients say that dentists cannot promote their dental practices without Facebook marketing.
Laser Dentistry
Also known as laser technology, demand for this dental trend has been increasing in the industry. As per Research and Markets, the market for dental lasers is anticipated to grow by 11 percent (or 190 million dollars) between 2020 to 2024.
This is because laser technology can be used in a variety of dental care applications. In some cases, it can be a great alternative to a traditional dental drill, which allows it to remove and reshape tissues, eliminate cavities, repair dental fillings, and boost the whitening process.
Laser dentistry offers other benefits that include: less need for sutures, less painful cavity removal, long-term bacteria elimination, and lesser risk of complications and infections. In addition, dental patients are expected to experience a faster healing process with little to no pain — two components that drive this dental trend’s growth.
Thanks to its numerous unique applications, laser dentistry has piqued the interest of several professionals in the dental industry.
Experience Unique Care With Advanced Dental Trends
Get the most out of the latest trends in dentistry with expert dental care from Advanced Dental Group. Regardless of your dental care needs, we can connect you to the best professionals in the dental field. For inquiries, call us now!