Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Each year, technology plays a larger role in the dentist office. From digital x-rays to electronic dental records, advanced technologies and IT solutions have the power to deliver better care, increase efficiency and improve patient satisfaction while reducing unnecessary costs.
Like many, we believe the introduction of new technology into dentistry will enable and drive the future of dental care innovation and practice management. However, better technology requires a significant financial investment; new dental technology can costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, an amount that many solo practitioners are just not able to afford. Unfortunately, if an office does not have the bare minimum in technology in today’s environment, it is highly unlikely it will be able deliver the high-quality care a patient now expects – and deserves.
For example, digital x-rays are hugely important for all dentists—they can reduce radiation exposure to patients by up to 90 percent compared to traditional dental x-rays, significantly decreasing the risk of cancer. In addition, digital x-rays allow dentists to easily and securely share patient information with other dentists and labs, and digital x-rays require less long-term maintenance costs when compared with film. According to a 2007 ADA Survey, only 36.5% of dentists in the United States use digital x-rays. Unfortunately, adoption has not grown significantly since.
The need for better technology also can become a significant hurdle for new dentists, many who want to open their own dental practices once they graduate from dental school. Unfortunately, many new dentists must manage their significant school debt, which can average more than $200,000, making it nearly impossible to get the financial support needed to start their practice.
As dentists search for a solution, many have realized that a business partnership with a dental support organization (DSO) can ease this financial burden, providing them access to the latest technology while improving the efficiency of their practice. For example, DSOs can offer dentists substantial savings on technology, using increased purchasing power by aggregating orders between hundreds of practices. In addition, DSOs can provide the necessary expertise, improved efficiency and the institutionalized education and advice given to all supported dentists. This combined expertise and investment provides support many dentists sorely need while allowing them to focus on what they are trained to do: meeting the clinical needs of their patients.
The perfect example is Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technologies. Truly, this is the future of dentistry. CAD/CAM technologies produce a wide range of dental restorations, including crowns, veneers, bridges and dental implant abutments. Traditionally, dentists would need to fit a patient with a temporary restoration while an off-site laboratory produces the permanent restoration. Using this technology, DSO-supported dentists and practices can now place restorations the same day.
Why is this important? Each year, adults lose more than 164 million hours of work due to oral health problems or dental visits. Using CAD/CAM, same-day technology, dentists can dramatically increase efficiency and patient satisfaction, helping patients return to work the same day, ultimately saving money and avoiding multiple visits to the dentist’s office. That’s the power of technology to transform dentistry and the patient experience.
Technology has proven to be a driving force of innovation in healthcare, and the dental profession is no different. Dentists, equipped with the latest technology and IT support, can deliver an amazing patient experience while improving care and saving costs. However, like other parts of our healthcare system, dentists must find solutions that allow them to bring technology into their practices. We believe a business partnership with a DSO is a good place to start.