By Dr. Steve Marsh
I have had the good fortune of practicing dentistry for more than 44 years, including three years in the United States Air Force and 41 years in private practice. My late father, Dr. Sam Marsh, practiced nearly 50 years after graduating from The Ohio State University — my alma mater, as well — and his two years in the United States Army.
With more than 90 cumulative years in our field, we have seen many changes in both techniques and materials, and I’m certain there are many new developments on the horizon.
For Starters…
Cavity detection is one such area. Radiographs (X-rays) have gone digital. We take them with a sensor rather than film (which helps lessen our environmental impact), and you can see the results instantly on a computer screen With the help of other digital improvements, dentists can see problems earlier and be more exacting in their diagnosis. Intraoral photography, transillumination, and caries-dye also provide better detection, and changes in AI (artificial intelligence) show promise in this area.
Impression techniques for mouth molds have also come a long way. My father used plaster in dental school, which had to harden in the mouth, be “broken” apart, and then glued together. In my years at The OSU, we used many different kinds of “goop,” which took a long time to harden and then had to be poured — while the patient got their faces cleaned or “de-gooped.”)
Today, digital impressions are made with a scanning device, and after they are analyzed on the computer screen, they are forwarded to a 3-D printer to be fabricated. These 3-D prints are used to fabricate crowns, bridges and veneers, which may also be made via computer. This can speed up the process and result in better fitting restorations. Moving forward, the scanning devices should also be more effective in processing partial dentures, dentures and implant procedures; in this latter area, they are already being used in both guided surgery and prosthetics.
For the all-important patient experience, anesthetics are more effective, last longer (if necessary), and should be given more gently. Oraverse can be administered at the end of an appointment, lessening the time that a patient has to be numb — by nearly three hours. Other areas of comfort may involve headphones, 3-D glasses and sunglasses, and even custom-made pillows.
Each of these items, in addition to improvements in air quality and other PPE gear, promises to maintain and improve the dental environment.
While we’ve seen many developments, there is still room for changes that will make the delivery of dental care even more effective and easier for both the dentist and patient. Who knows what we’ll see in the next 90 years? I’m sure that my dad would agree that in dentistry, the best is yet to come.
