Growing and 3D printing of teeth
Six breakthrough technologies in dentistry
Dentures in just four hours, universal diagnostics and study with the best specialists without having to travel halfway across the country – Oleg Kushch, CEO of the network of dental clinics "Smile Factor", tells how dentists use new technologies
Computer design and 3D printing
3D printing does not need a special presentation. In medicine, this technology is at the peak of popularity today, because it allows you to print medicines and prostheses and even make copies of organs.
Traditionally, when a patient needs a crown, the dentist must make a cast of the tooth and mold a temporary crown, and then wait for the dental laboratory to produce a permanent one. Today, some clinics are turning to new technologies, significantly reducing the waiting time for the patient: the tooth is prepared for the installation of a crown, a picture is taken, then this image is transmitted to a 3D printer, which prints the crown directly in the clinic.
Printers also allow faster and more accurate production of orthodontic models, surgical templates, aligners, retainers and other dental equipment. This helps to automate work processes, reducing the number of errors and labor costs.
Artificial intelligence
In many dental offices today, doctors can create a 3D model of the patient's jaw using special computer programs. Thanks to the three-dimensional graphics, it is possible to determine all the parameters of the patient's jaw and plan further treatment. The technology helps both therapists and implantologists.
Recently, scientists at the University of Sheffield have begun to explore the possibility of using AI in the diagnosis of oral cancer. The first doctors who can notice signs of cancer are dentists. Therefore, the purpose of using special algorithms that recognize malignant formations is to raise awareness among general practitioners. It is assumed that the AI will classify lesions into three categories based on images: benign, malignant and potentially malignant. According to doctors, there is now a problem with deciphering a biopsy of DEPR (dysplasia of the epithelium of the oral cavity). First of all, they find out about it too late. Secondly, specialists prescribe different treatments to patients with the same results of the study. The use of artificial intelligence should make the examination objective, and the treatment systematic and timely. At the moment, the algorithm is only being developed – it will be trained on the basis of tissue samples with DEPR data obtained over five years.
Smart Toothbrush
Smart toothbrushes monitor whether you brush your teeth properly. The brush is equipped with sensors in the handle, which transmit data to a special mobile application, and it, in turn, warns if the user presses too hard on the teeth, and instructs how to clean them properly. For children, this service offers games to develop the habit of brushing their teeth regularly.
Augmented Reality
You may be familiar with augmented reality (AR), a technology that combines the real world around the user with the space created on the computer. In dental practice, AR technology allows patients to find out how they will look after treatment. Today, professional AR applications have been developed, which doctors use before the procedure to superimpose a virtual image of an "improved" set of teeth on a real one. This allows patients and dentists to choose the best dental characteristics (height, distance) before treatment begins.
Virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) differs from augmented reality in that it creates a three-dimensional world, completely separating the user from reality and immersing him in a virtual environment. Back in 2015, Nobel Biocare performed the first dental surgery filmed using virtual reality technology, which allowed observers to practically help the surgeon throughout the procedure. Now students do not need to stand behind a surgeon in the operating room for practical training – young specialists can follow the work from anywhere in the world using virtual reality glasses.
As for patients, virtual reality will help them to relieve anxiety when visiting a doctor: during treatment, they will be able to see soothing scenes and, thus, get less stress from not always pleasant procedures.
Restorative dentistry
We are used to the idea that our teeth will fall out with age and they will be replaced by prostheses. However, developments in the field of regenerative dentistry can gradually change the usual reality. Researchers from Nottingham and Harvard Universities have developed dental fillings that help teeth heal damage. These fillings stimulate stem cells that promote the growth of dentin (the main component of our teeth). This allows patients to effectively restore teeth damaged as a result of dental disease. New discoveries by researchers at the Karolinska Institute can accelerate the development in the field of regenerative medicine. They managed to find out that stem cells, if grown in a special jelly–like collagen, undergo differentiation - they adapt to a new environment and acquire appropriate physical and functional features. Based on these data, Austrian scientists have compiled a map of cell differentiation pathways, which should form the basis for the development of new technologies to replace damaged or lost dental tissues.
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