User:Useroh29/Orthodontic technology

Digital Orthodontic Technology
From the book Clinical Applications of Dental Technology we see the impact that digital technology has on dental professions.

According to Foundations of Dental Technology there are 7 parts to an orthodontic assessment: "case history, clinical examination, model analysis, functional analysis, cephalometric analysis, radiographic analysis of the teeth, and photographic analysis." We will focus specifically on radiographic and photographic analysis to analyze the effect of digital technology in the field of orthodontics.

Radiography
Radiography has been used in dental offices for decades, but as digital technology expands there are various benefits to using digital radiography compared to conventional film. In Clinical Applications of Dental Technology, the author states that digital radiography: "decreases environmental burdens ..., improves accuracy in image processing, ... increase in efficiency, etc."

3D radiography is also becoming more prevalent in dental offices as well and provides numerous benefits for assessing and locating positions of various diagnosis such as TMJ problems, impacted teeth, tooth eruptions, etc.

Digital Scanners
One of the most noticeable changes in digital dental technology is the adaptation of digital scanners in dental and specialty offices. A big change for patients specifically, is the transition from plaster model impressions to digital scanners. It provides more accurate impressions and is noticeably more comfortable for patients. Digital scanners are also used as way for dental offices to manufacture aligners and retainers directly from their office. This allows for improved collaboration between offices through the ability to transfer scans electronically and it allows a direct removal of defects in the scan before being printed.