Digital technology is ever-present in our daily lives and will impact the world of dental care. In the future, you may have a filling placed using a laser instead of a dental drill. The use of imaging software, computer-aided design programs and digital photography will likely become the industry norm to help dentists create crowns, tooth fillings and virtually any other prosthetic restorations. More dental offices in Ontario are beginning to offer patients CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics). Through this process, the dentist scans the area of a patient’s mouth that needs reconstruction, a digitally crafted replica tooth image is created and a milling chamber then sculpts the tooth right there in the dentist’s office, eliminating the need to send the job to a lab. It’s hard to tell how advancements in technology will shape dentistry; if the present is any indication, the future of dentistry will mean greater efficiencies and less discomfort.

Learn more about What Might We Look Like in 50 Years in the pages of Ontario Dentist: The Journal of the Ontario Dental Association.

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