Realizing the Benefits

Without a doubt, some of the most significant changes to the practice of dentistry in the last few decades have resulted from advances in technology. Some have simply been improvements on existing technologies, such as the transition from film-based to digital radiography; others have provided totally new approaches, such as the incorporation of lasers for treatments; but the most influential advances have been those involving intraoral scanning and CAD/CAM, which are fueling the transition to digital dentistry by enabling the creation of wholly transformative workflows that have helped to increase the accuracy and predictability of virtually every aspect of practice from restorative procedures to orthodontics and more. Indeed, whether clinicians are realizing the advantages of technology through their laboratories or realizing them in-house through the incorporation of new devices and protocols, everyone in the profession is benefiting.