Search

SurfCT Blog with Paul Vigario

Ride the dental technology wave with SurfCT

Open Search
Category

Technology

The Cloud & Dentistry

In this article, we look into the benefits of utilizing cloud computing in dentistry. Today, you’re constantly hearing about cloud computing and the benefits of the technology. Since it’s starting to become more widely utilized, we must first understand the ways to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of moving to the cloud. The technology is a hot topic and it’s showing interest across all levels of organizations from big to small companies; more specifically, industries such as healthcare and medicine. There are several beneficial factors to using the cloud such as cost benefits.

The initial inquiry on cloud computing is usually the cost. A cloud-based software solution is typically low, thus making the experience a less costly venture. The service is commonly offered on a monthly subscription known as Software as a Service (SaaS). A key benefit to using SaaS is that you don’t have to worry about the software updates. All the software updates and technical support are included in the monthly subscription. This is a peace of mind for dental offices because they don’t have to employ technical staff and their focus will be on their patients.  So, while the overall cost is decreasing, patient focus and experience are ultimately increasing.

To get a better understanding of how the technology works, the cloud-based software relies on servers that are offsite. You will access the servers through the internet to get the patients information. This method is different than your typical process. The information was usually stored on a local server. This solution was meant to minimize the need for technical staff within the office and the reduction of a local server. The dental office will only need a local resource to store their large images and to be transferred to the cloud on a nightly basis…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.org

 

0

Improving Patient Experience With Technology

Technology has changed the way many industries we’re familiar with work.  In previous blogs, we’ve had various focuses on technology within the dental field, and how it is assisting healthcare providers with tasks from regular patient visits to performing surgery and diagnosing various conditions.  However, while technology is consistently improving a healthcare providers job, it is also on the rise for improving patient experience during a visit to their provider. Here are a few major ways technology is improving patient experience:

Improving Patient Care

The dental industry has experienced so many technological developments over time, that have improved the way practitioners take care of their patients.  From improvements to simple dental tools, such as toothbrushes and dental handpieces, to more complex tools like radiology and imaging, dental tech is constantly changing.  Patients will find tech advancements that will ease their treatment process, and make their experience at the dentist, as well as other healthcare providers much more enjoyable.

Increase Office Efficiency

One of the greatest aspects of tech developments in healthcare has been an increase in office efficiency.  Patients no longer have to wait at the check-in desk for long periods of time while office professionals search through numerous files and paperwork.  Manual documentation can be very time consuming for both office professionals and patients that are coming in. Technology has provided dental offices and other healthcare providers with cloud-based technology that keeps most paperwork and records digital and secured.  This gives providers a seamless and easy process in going through patient files and previous records while being more organized. Additionally, with enhanced organization providers can be more focused on their patient’s specific issues and needs…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.org

0

The Future of Dental Technology

We’ve discussed in previous blogs how technology has changed the dental industry in the present day.  And while tech is taking the dental industry, and other sectors of healthcare by storm, the future is surely a bright one.  The future of dental technology is in the process of developing now. While many practices are in the early stages of implementing new tech, others may not have gotten there yet. For the dental industry, the future holds many new developments and improvements on what some practices are currently using.  Here are a few tech tools that you may see in the dental industry within the near future:

Dental Regeneration

Regenerative medicine is a big topic surrounding the dental industry right now, and many professionals see big plans for the future.  While we haven’t yet seen the full impact of what stem cell research can do, for dentistry, it could potentially replace the needs for traditional fillings and bonding with stem cell sources that could potentially maintain tooth-forming ability.  There have already been studies where scientists are developing dental fillings that allow teeth to heal themselves with the use of stem cells encouraging the growth of dentin (the bone material that makes up a majority of a tooth).

Teledentistry

Many people are afraid and therefore reluctant to visit their dentist, while others, don’t feel as if they have the time or money.  Teledentistry is a technology designed to combat these issues. Teledentistry can provide dental professionals with a virtual way to conduct live consults with patients while capturing images, taking clinical notes, and other tasks.  We’ve seen this in the medical field already with on-demand virtual doctor visits. Imagine bringing that into the world of dentistry as well…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.info

0

Data Protection in Dentistry

As a dental practice, you’re dealing with an abundance of sensitive patient information.  Your practice is fully responsible for obtaining, processes, and retaining all of the information that your patients submit to you.  Dental practices are required to comply with data protection regulations and requirement, in order to continuously protect their patient’s health information and privacy.  As technology advances, companies such as SurfCT.com provide dental practices and specialists with the most advanced technological solutions to not only improve the efficiency of their practice but help manage and comply with data protection regulations.

Whether patient information is recorded and stored on paper or electronically, it is generally deemed as confidential information and needs to be stored properly.  Cloud technology has given dental practices an efficient way to electronically store patient information to remain in compliance with data protection regulations as well as HIPAA compliance.  

Within the last few years, data protection and HIPAA violations have become extremely regulated.  Practices that do not comply correctly with HIPAA compliance face penalties and other ramifications that could hinder further practice if not corrected.  A system as simple as e-mail needs to be properly secured because it can be used regularly for sending general patient information. SurfCT.com provides dental practices with the proper security measures to protect sensitive data from with and secure e-mail systems, cloud storage, secure mobile access, all with step by step set up and integrated migration to make the process efficient and simple…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.org

0

The Different Fields of Dentistry

For many people, the thought of dentistry consists of going to your local family dentist for a routine check-up and cleaning.  Depending on your needs, you may not have to visit another specialists office. However, aside from your general dentist, there are other areas of dentistry that require specialized training and practice many different methods of dental care.  We’ve covered a lot of information about general dentistry and past blogs. Here are major other fields of dentistry that you may not be familiar with:

Orthodontist

If you’ve gone through a period of having braces, you’re likely familiar with seeing an Orthodontist.  An Orthodontist is considered to be an alignment specialist; focusing on correcting teeth and jaws that may be out of line or crooked. There are many reasons why someone may see an orthodontist, from an overbite or underbite caused by a misaligned jaw to a full treatment plan for crooked teeth.  In addition to your general dentists, an orthodontist is probably one of the more common practices you’ve been to.

Periodontist

A Periodontist is a specialist that focuses on the health of your gums.  The health of your gums is extremely important to your wellbeing. A Periodontist focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating many different gums issues that an individual can develop.  From issues such as bleeding of the gums due to inflammation, or more severe issues like diagnosing and treating mild to moderate forms of gum disease. A Periodontist will also handle procedures such as dental implants or cosmetic skin grafting for gums that have seen serious infection and recession…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.info

0

Improvements in Dental Imaging with Machine Learning

It is predicted that artificial intelligence is only going to become more widespread in the medical field. Advances in both the medical field and in technology are paving the way for a brighter, smarter future in healthcare.

Dentistry is one particular field that is benefiting greatly from artificial intelligence and modern technology.

CAD systems are one of the new pieces of tech that medical professionals are making use of. This system will analyze a photo, identifying each object in the picture. It offers medical professionals a vital second opinion.

Conventional neural networks are also a technology to look out for. They are able to identify images almost as accurately as a human. They are even able to identify humans from photographs.

It is easy to imagine how useful these tools would be in dentistry. The artificial intelligence programming would theoretically be able to distinguish gums, teeth, and bones apart. The only thing holding back conventional neural networks in the dental world is that there is not enough training data available at the moment.

Upon successful implementation, a conventional neural network would be able to identify tumors in the mouth and so much more. Even if the technology isn’t perfect, it doesn’t hurt a dentists office to make use of this technology. It may be imperfect, but it could see something that the dentists missed, such as a dangerous tumor or osteomyelitis…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.info 

 

0

Traditional Braces v. Clear Aligners

Spending your adolescent years with crooked teeth is not an uncommon issue.  More than likely, you, or someone you know has gone through orthodontic treatment to help straighten permanent teeth after they’ve all grown in.  Similar to other dental technologies in the industry, braces have evolved from ancient methods to more traditional ones that we’re familiar with today.  However, in recent years, the “traditional” form of braces that we’re all generally used to, have also seen a major change. Enter: invisible aligners.

Invisible aligners are now used as a new alternative to traditional braces and a way to correct mild to moderate orthodontic issues without having a mouth full of metal brackets and wires.  While they’ve been around for a few years now, as of recently clear aligners are receiving a lot of attention due to the convenience of alignments kits that are shipped right to your door. Here are a few of the major benefits behind invisible aligners:

Convenience

One of the greatest reasons why individuals are transitioning from traditional braces to clear aligners is the ultimate form of orthodontic convenience.  Patients that opt for clear aligners have the ability to remove their aligners every time they eat and practice their dental hygiene routines.  With traditional braces, patients are often restricted from eating certain food items due to the risk of damaging brackets and having to make a trip back to the orthodontist for a fix.  However, clear aligners eliminate food restrictions as patients remove them before eating and no longer have to worry about damaging metal brackets and wires. Additionally, they’re extremely popular due to their seemingly “invisible” appearance; giving patients the opportunity to straighten their teeth, without having the appearance of metal brackets, wires, and bands in their mouth.

Improved Dental Hygiene

Traditional metal braces require extensive dental hygiene methods in order to keep teeth and gums healthy and clean.  Patients who have traditional braces often find it difficult to maintain proper oral health due to the obstruction of the metal applications across their teeth.  Poor dental hygiene while having traditional braces can result in the development of calcium deposits on the surface of their teeth, or swollen irritated gums that can lead to gingivitis and other serious health problems in the future.  Invisible aligners prove to be significantly more efficient when it comes to maintaining proper dental hygiene…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.org

0

What is Digital Smile Design?

Technology in the dental industry has experienced many different innovations that have improved dental practices for both dental professionals and their patients.  As technology continues to evolve and develop, dental professionals are finding new ways to perfect traditional processes using new innovative developments. Digital Smile Design (DSD) is an innovative and unique dental treatment planning tool that helps enhance the vision, diagnostics, and predictability of dental professionals and how they work with their patients.  “SurfCT.com  is the exclusive DSD Technology provider” says Mr. Paul Vigario “and can assist in making your dental practice DSD ready, more efficient and technologically advanced with the most innovative developments throughout the dental industry, specifically, DSD and DSD Technology.”  “We are honored to be working with Dr. Christian Coachman and making his vision a reality with DSD Technology readily available for any dental practice that is ready to take things to the next level.”

So, what does DSD do for dental professionals and their patients?

Essentially, DSD provides dental professionals with an easy and efficient way to develop a dental treatment plan for their patients customized to their patients dental and facial proportions.  With the use of videos, mock-ups, and digital photographs, DSD technology can provide dental professionals with an accurate sense of the relationships between a patient’s gums, lips, and teeth, and ultimately how they work together to create a patient’s unique smile.  Additionally, DSD technology can assist dental professionals in diagnosing patient issues more effectively and accurately. “More patients say YES to treatment with DSD Technology designed specifically for the way you practice” says SurfCT.com founder, Mr. Paul Vigario.

On the patient side of the technology, DSD gives you a personalized view into the end result of your specific procedure.  The idea is to keep patients and dental professionals on the same page throughout the process while making it easy for patients to communicate their wants and needs about their design of their smile; essentially putting patients in full control of their desired result. When the necessary patient data and information is collected using DSD technology, it will then be imported into the software to provide a glimpse into what the patient can expect from the treatment…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.info  

0

Dental Imaging Game Changer: Dental Cone Beam CT

Dental imaging has seen a substantial amount of changes over the years.  From a simple classic X-ray to 3-D imaging technologies that are multi-purpose and provide dental professionals with accurate ways to diagnose problems, and plan for invasive and reconstructive oral procedures.  Dental Cone Beam CT, is known as a technology that changed the imaging game for the better, and drastically improved the way dental professionals can work with their patients.   

So, what is it exactly?  Dental Cone Beam CT, or Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is an advanced 3-D X-ray imaging system that provides dental professionals with a fast and easy way to answer different questions pertaining to a patient’s oral health.  Generally, this is used in situations where regular X-rays are unable to accurately capture oral images that could help diagnose specific issues. The major difference between CBCT and a traditional X-ray is the result. CBCT machines are used to provide 3-D images of dental structures, tissues, bone, and nerve paths in one single scan, as opposed to the 2-D image your dentist would receive from a traditional X-ray.  

You may require a CBCT scan if:

  • You need a surgical procedure such as an impacted tooth removal
  • You need a dental implant…

.

.

To continue reading please visit paulvigario.org 

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑