Toothy Tech – 5 Amazing Advances in Dental Technology

Once upon a time, a sore or broken tooth would see you walking along to your local blacksmith. Among the horseshoes and other items, the blacksmith would have a few tools set aside for extractions. You would take a seat, and the untrained, inexperienced worker would pull your tooth out.

There were no X-rays to determine if it was the best or only decision, no equipment sterilization, and no comfortable dental chair or pain relief. Wind the clock forward a few hundred years, and dental technology has never been better. You’ll have no qualms about seeing your dentist if they offer the following:

Cosmetic Procedures

Many people visited their local dentist if they had pain, but you can now see them for a bit of “me” time. Cosmetic procedures such as porcelain veneers ensure that not only can your teeth be healthy, but they can look beautiful at the same time. Millions of people are not happy with their smile, but cosmetic dentists are making sure that you now can be.

Teeth Whitening Treatment

Many things can alter the color of your teeth, including antibiotics, genetics, food, beverages, and smoking cigarettes. Fortunately, many stains are not permanent. New technology has opened many doors for teeth whitening treatments. You can choose a shade you like, then let your dentist do all the hard work with gels, bleaches, UV light, and other methods. They can then offer a take-home kit so you can make touch-ups yourself at home.

Robot-Led Procedures

In 2017, the South China Morning Post reported the first ever robot-led dental surgery. A woman had two dental implants prepared and installed by none other than a robot. China, among other countries around the world, has a shortage of qualified dentists. If they can fine-tune the robot to carry out other procedures, it can make dental care more accessible and efficient, and with a reduction in human error.

Teeth Regrowth

When you lose or damage a tooth, a dentist has many treatment options up their sleeve. They can replace the tooth with an implant, put a crown on it for structure and form, or fill holes with fillings. Soon, however, they may be able to regrow your tooth.

Dentists are now learning how to probe stem cells in your dental pulp with stimulating drugs to promote tooth growth. In your dental pulp, there are a lot of nerves and vessels. It’s also where you grow your dentin (bony tissue). Dentists are working on encouraging the dentin to grow into the spaces in your tooth they removed to get rid of decay.

Invisalign Braces

Even though advanced technology can come at a cost, it can be worth it if the benefits far outweigh those of more traditional treatment methods. Regular braces, for example, can be clunky, invasive, painful, and uncomfortable in many cases. While they are useful for correcting severe tooth misalignment, they are also not the only option.

Invisalign braces are clear aligners that can straighten your teeth as well. They can’t help with severe problems but are ideal for minor alignments. You can remove them to eat, and when you wear them, they are nearly invisible.

If you thought smartphones and TVs were getting technical, you haven’t been paying attention to the latest dental technology news. From robots performing complex implant procedures through to growing new adult teeth, there has never been a better time than now to get dental care. Dental experts are only scratching the surface, so what will they come up with next?