Better Forever
As someone in the public arena in a small community it's always good practice to avoid talking about politics. So, I won't. However, it just hit me as this election is wrapping up that while the majority of us don't like election season with all the crazy commercials and what not, sign companies must love it. Right? Their production must quadruple that of a non-election year. So many signs. Crazy.
Each of us has had a life experience that has shaped the way we view the world. Our unique perspective in other words. These perspectives heavily influence our approach to life, including political views. And as much as feel strongly towards a certain ideology and as much as I have a hard time understanding how others might think differently than me, I'm grateful that we are allowed to have our differing opinions and express them at the polls. Because many folks can't understand why I think (in a political sense) the way I do. But if they're like me then they value the fact that I am free to think and vote the way I please.
The beautiful thing is these perspectives evolve as we experience more, communicate more, learn more, etc. Like my perspective on the art, science and practice of Dentistry. Sixteen years ago I started dental school in San Francisco at a program regarded as one of, if not the best for learning clinical dentistry. It was regarded as a program that was on the cutting edge of advancements in the field.
I dove right in and absorbed it all. I was in awe at how dentistry was actually done. Thinking the techniques taught to me were the best and weren't going anywhere. Here I am 16 years later, only four presidential election cycles mind you, and when I think back on it I feel like we should've been doing dentistry in a cave. Ok, so that's a bit hyperbolic, but man do I operate differently these days.
The most exciting thing is however, that I'm going to feel the same way in another 16 years. I am no longer making the mistake of thinking, "The nerds have done it, it can't possibly get any better, or easier, or more accurate, or less painful, etc." It's amazing now and as long as I don't become an "old dog" it's going to continually get better.
I'll try and rattle off the big examples while hopefully keeping you, the reader, engaged. During my time in dental school the hot new technology was something called Cone Beam Computed Technology, or CBCT for short. What does it do? Thanks for asking, it captures a three dimensional image of the hard tissue of whatever it scans, and in our case it scans the lower half of your face...the part where your mouth is.
You guys, this is huge. This took us from the two dimensional world into the third dimension. Its biggest application has been for implant surgery planning. We can place implants with precision and predictability in a far less invasive manner than before. It allows dentists who are preparing to do a root canal a precise map of a tooth's pulpal anatomy. The best part, is when they were teaching us about these machines we were told they were too expensive and patients would have to go. to imaging centers (much like getting an MRI), but now they are pretty standard in any dental office up to speed on tech. For example, each of my three dental offices has one. We will come back to this technology as it will build on some of the other examples coming up.
What about Digital Optical Scanners!!! Three exclamation points because this tech has improved not only my dentistry, but it has greatly improved mine and the patient's experience receiving needed dental care. To keep it short, a digital optical scanner allows the dentist to capture a detailed three dimensional image (we use the term impression in dentistry). This technology has been clinically viable in my opinion for almost 15 years and was originally introduced for the purpose of making ceramic crowns "in house."
I'm barely scratching the surface here, people. Just trust me, dentistry is getting better every day and it's not going to stop. This is good news for humanity.
The big advantage is that the patient no longer has to have a pile of goop shoved in their mouth to capture an impression. They no longer have to wear a janky temporary crown for a month waiting for the lab to make their crown. And they no longer have to have that painful second appointment that oftentimes requires getting numb again. All of these are awesome for the Dentist also. We will also revisit this tech after talking about our last example.
Drumroll please.......3D printing. It's only getting better and better and it's now precise and accurate enough for use in dentistry. If we combine 3D printing with the other tech I've mentioned above the possibilities are insane. An Oral Surgeon who needs to do major surgery on someone's jaw can now capture a CBCT image and 3D print a precise model of the patient's jaw to visualize their surgery ahead of time.
An Orthodontist can take a digital optical impression of at young patient's teeth, digitally plan the entire case, and 3D print out the successive models allowing them to fabricate clear aligners (think invisalign) in an hour or two.
A dentist can remove someone's teeth (relax, they needed to be removed they were full of disease ok), place 4 to 6 implants which were planned using the CBCT, immediately attach what's called a scan body to each implant, take a digital optical impression, then design digitally a whole new set of teeth that can be 3D printed and attached within an hour or two. I know, I'm super excited about it all, just like you.
I'm barely scratching the surface here, people. Just trust me, dentistry is getting better every day and it's not going to stop. This is good news for humanity. So regardless of what happens in between my writing this and it coming out, take solace in knowing the right and the left are in favor of making dentistry easier, faster, cheaper, more comfortable, etc. That might just be the common ground we'll need to recognize that we are all Americans and neighbors and we are in this mess together.
Read Better Forever by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS, in 406 Woman magazine.