You know what they say, always be one step ahead of the game. As much as we like to live in the moment, we’re constantly keeping up on the trends that shape the world of dentistry.
1. The average age of dentists and assistants will decrease.
Dentistry is a growing profession! People are becoming more and more health conscious (yay!) which means the realization has come to light that teeth need love too. The largest age group of dentists (those over 55) will soon be retiring, meanwhile the industry is flooded with the incoming young dental professionals. The cycle never ends, so dental assistants are always in high demand!
2. The patient experience will be more interactive/digital
Many patients have access to their health records and bills online due to the conversion from paper to paperless. Aside from the health records, the new and innovative technology available for dentists is astounding! For example, a new device called “Cerec” enables dentists to have a patient’s crown made in the office, and on the same day! Cerec has an intraoral camera that scans the patient’s mouth to digitally create a PERFECT match for their tooth! This eliminates the need to create a temporary crown and saves the office time and money! This is just one example of the many strides the dental field has made within the past few years.
3. Anxiety about going to Operative side of things will decrease (hopefully)!
Anxiety isn’t something that can just “go away”, but there are factors we can change to reduce the prevalence of anxiety in the dental office. With the advancement of technology, we reduce the amount of time actively working in the patient’s mouth which should make them a little less anxious. The new equipment is less invasive than our previous techniques and more accurate, it’s a win-win for everyone!