Standard of dental care, building trust
Training may help introduce a consistent standard of dental care, according to Cindy Roark, D.M.D., chief clinical officer and senior vice president at Sage Dental and a member of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine board of fellows.
In an opinion piece published by Forbes, Dr. Roark said the dental profession has caught up to the rest of the medical field in implementing novel technology designed to improve the standard of care and diagnostic accuracy.
However, inconsistencies in diagnoses and treatment planning can impact both patient care and the business operations of dental practices — causing confusion during the decision-making process, overpayment by patients and a public perception of mistrust in dentists. To avoid these variations, Dr. Roark suggested that dental school and training programs integrate the most updated technology into their curriculums, including artificial intelligence-based imaging and chairside diagnostic software.
Utilizing AI could streamline and speed up diagnoses across dental practices and boost patient trust. In addition, intraoral scanning allows dentists to generate a three-dimensional model of a patient’s oral cavity to minimize diagnostic errors and variations as well as enhance fittings of crowns, dentures and splints.
Dr. Roark concluded that supplying dental students with the training to use the latest innovations in dentistry can boost their chances of professional success.
Read more: Forbes
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.