Can you ever imagine that dental procedures may be painless and comfortable? But technologies that make that possible are now available. If you have a cavity, there is no need to undergo frightening drilling or beg for anesthetic injection anymore. Dentists can painlessly eliminate tooth decay and fill the tooth with the help of a laser. This modern technology turned the standard tooth filling into a simple and painless experience.
People who have already experienced this treatment method are pleasantly surprised. They report that they didn’t feel any discomfort or pain. And the tooth filling procedure ends before they realized that it had begun. This is how the future of dentistry looks like.
Researchers and dentists all over the world are trying to make most dental procedures less invasive and easily accessible to everyone. This should change people’s attitude towards dentistry and make them believe that dental procedures can be comfortable. When those painful drills and injections will become a relic of the past, people will go to dentist’s offices more often and there will be fewer cases of dental diseases. Within a few years, your dentist will be able to offer you completely different treatment methods. Here is the list of technologies in dentistry that you mightn’t know about.
New Methods of Caries Treatment
Despite the fact that some people have already tried the caries treatment with the help of a laser, it is still very rare. These lasers are quite expensive and dentists need to undergo special training in order to learn the specifics of working with them. But everything is changing. There is a lot of young dentists who think that this is the future of dentistry.
Almost all people who had tooth decay filled by drill and laser choose lasers for their next procedure. But dentists are also fond of them because lasers provide great precision. The tooth surface which was drilled with the help of a laser differs greatly from the standard etched cavity. This technology allows creating an ideal surface for filling and doesn’t ruin the structure inside the tooth.
There is one more minimally invasive method of treatment that may be available in a few years. It is electrically stimulated remineralization. It means that the dentist uses electrical current in order to push minerals into the tooth. It excludes the need to drill away tooth decay and to fill the cavity because these minerals are able to repair the damages. This procedure helps to return calcium and phosphate that the tooth has lost and stimulates what nature does to restore the natural tooth enamel.
Healthy Root Canals
The standard root canal procedure has two stages:
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- The surgical removal of unhealthy pulp
- The inserting of an artificial substance
But scientists have found that this diseased pulp is able to regenerate with the help of stem cell injections. But this kind of treatment will be available in 10 years or so.
Some kinds of scaffolding materials contain stem cells and researchers used them to fill the root canal system. There were some studies on animals that showed the ability of the pulp tissue to regenerate in a few months. And the tooth returns to its usual healthy state with minimal filling.
Lasers can also help with root canal treatment. The laser beam penetrates the root canal and kills the bacteria there. Not a single irrigant can reach these bacteria deep in the root, but the physical properties of lasers help kill bacteria even in the most inaccessible parts of the tooth.
Improving Tooth Implants
In the last decade, dental implants procedures have become more popular and even replaced dentures in some way. And researchers are still looking for a better way to fuse implants in the jaw. In fact, you can still receive this treatment and make your teeth feel good with dental implant coconut grove FL. They also are working on new materials that are able to prevent bone resorption and the possibilities to grow missing bone tissue.
Nanotechnology tends to be the most promising answer. Researchers discovered that nanodiamond particles (little pieces of diamond that are invisible to the naked eye) are able to increase bone growth in the implant area. This method doesn’t require any surgical intervention as these nanodiamond particles may be implemented through injection or even oral rinse.
Sometimes dentists use 3D printing technology to produce custom implants. This method of dental implants may become a trend in a few years. 3D printers will play an important role in future dentistry but researchers are still looking for better materials that will be able to perform full recovery with the help of 3D printing. Other innovations include the use mini dental implants to reduce the cost of the procedure.
There are still some cases when extraction before implantation can’t be avoided. This procedure will remain the same but the use of lasers will fasten the healing process. The laser irrigation of a wound promotes a very quick recovery because it activates root healing.
Researches are also working on tooth regeneration and the possibilities to use it for implantation. There are two approaches to grow a tooth. The first one is to insert a bioengineered tooth root, transplant it in the mouth and let it erupt through the gum tissue. Second approach means that the bioengineered tooth will be grown on another tooth and then it will be implanted into the jaw.
Eliminating TMJ Pain
People with TMJ suffer from severe headaches and jaw pain. These people are often asking dentists for help. Botox injections can cause temporary paralysis which helps to immobilize aching muscles. Only a few patients received this treatment, but many could see the relief caused by Botox over time. Till now it was used only in extreme cases. But many doctors have found this method to be very helpful. Lasers can also reduce pain in TMJ cases by removing aching tissues. This procedure will more likely be performed by doctors rather than dentists.
How to Reduce the Need for Dental Work?
Despite the fact that dental restorations are becoming more delicate and painless, almost everyone wants to avoid the dentist’s office (regular examinations are still needed). You can achieve this only if you will maintain good oral hygiene. Almost all dental diseases can be prevented. If you properly brush and floss your teeth, eat healthy food and visit the dentist’s office regularly, then you will greatly reduce the risk of having dental problems. But when you neglect all these steps, poor dental health is almost guaranteed.
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