Insisting on Quality Dental Supplies Can Boost Efficiency and Improve Patient Care
There is a well-known adage that claims workers can only perform as well as their tools permit. Quality dental supplies are vital for an efficient practice. While dentistry dates from around 7,000 BC, even though it was regarded as a profession throughout the Middle Ages and centuries afterwards, the first dental school only opened in 1828 to produce the first medically qualified dental practitioners.
It was only in 1867, with the opening of the Harvard University Dental School, the first to be affiliated with a university, that dentistry finally gained true professional status. However, dental equipment remained limited to rudimentary handheld devices, and dentist chairs were just wooden stools.
Teeth were extracted without anaesthetics using a barbarous device known as a turnkey, while when used for root extractions, the elevator must have been equally painful. Purpose-built dental chairs, foot-pedal-operated drills and the use of rubber to make dental impressions were legacies of the Industrial Revolution, which subsequently saw foot-pedals replaced by electric motors. However, these, albeit significant, advances of the late nineteenth century were just a foretaste of things to come. They are a far cry from the sophisticated digital dental equipment and other advanced technologies that have since transformed tools for dentists and dentistry in the twenty-first century.
Modern Dental Supplies – Dental Technology in Action
Manufacturers of modern dental equipment have extended their priorities. Their overriding goal is no longer to create products that are merely as durable and efficient as possible. Experience has shown them that factors including ease of use, visual appeal and ergonomic design are equally essential to optimise practitioner performance, patient comfort and treatment outcomes.
To achieve these goals, manufacturers are leveraging the power of innovative new technologies. Among these, digital electronics has undoubtedly proved to be the most disruptive, transforming diagnostic procedures and extending treatment options. The following are examples of how digital dental equipment is changing the nature of dentistry:
- Intraoral cameras: These compact handheld tools for dentists transmit detailed colour images of the teeth and gums to a video screen, allowing dentists to share them with their patients and discuss treatment.
- Intraoral scanners: An alternative to making conventional impressions. When inserted into the buccal cavity, these devices can create a 3-dimensional image of the dental arch to share with a dental lab.
- CAD/CAM systems: This technology is undoubtedly among the most innovative applications of digital electronics in dentistry. 3-D images from an intraoral scanner are processed by CAD/CAM software to provide instructions for an automated milling machine to create ceramic crowns, veneers and other restorations at the chairside.
Dental Supplies – Good Looks and Comfort
The importance of efficient tools for dentists is a given, but there are other equally essential requirements when equipping a practice. Take dentist chairs, for example. Naturally, they must be comfortable for patients, but they should also be ergonomically designed so dentists don’t have to stretch or bend excessively. Appearances are as important as good dental equipment. Pleasant surroundings in reception and treatment areas can help patients relax, a point worth noting when choosing furniture for dentists. Why not visit one of our showrooms or contact Hague Dental Supplies to learn more about our hi-tech tools for dentists to transform your practice?
