How High-Tech Gadgetry is Leading the Way in the Dental World

Recently, the California Dental Association held its annual conference and summit in San Francisco — and unveiled some innovative new dental technology that could change the field of dentistry radically.

According to a September 5 ABC News 7 article, some of North America’s biggest dental companies like Colgate and Crest convened to reveal gadgets like a digital impressioning device, a new teeth-whitening solution and an anesthetic injector that’s pain-free.

Rather than subjecting patients to an uncomfortable mouthful of impression materials to make a mold of his or her teeth, the digital impressioning device essentially acts as a “high-tech wand” that takes a 3D picture of the inside of the mouth, which can then be “printed” into a dental mold using a 3D printer, ABC News 7 reports. The completed dental mold can be printed instantly, taking out the weeks-long waiting time of getting a traditional crown made.

The Dentalvibe, another device introduced at the California Dental Association’s conference, is an anesthetic needle that eliminates the uncomfortable, sometimes painful feeling of the needle going into your gums. As its name implies, the Dentalvibe vibrates to essentially play a trick on the brain and distract it from the pain of the needle, according to the ABC News 7 article.

For cosmetic dentists, a new technology that could prove useful is Start Pure’s new whitening detergent that makes teeth whitening less painful for patients. The detergent contains an anesthetic in addition to its whitening properties, eliminating pain and sensitivity in patients’ teeth that typically comes from the whitening process.

Last, but not the least expected, among the new technologies unveiled last week? A dentist’s chair that massages patients as they get their teeth cleaned and examined.