A patient-led approach is defining modern dentistry. When dentists upskill and train to do more, it is with elevated patient outcomes in mind. The high demand for quality restorative treatments, from composite bonding to implant therapies, is a good example of this. People now want to repair and improve, rather than remove any healthy tissue, or the tooth itself. They want a naturally beautiful result, delivered in a minimally invasive way.
They also want convenience; appointments that fit into busy lives, which can be booked easily and are as short and as few in number as possible. They want value from their investment, and to know they are spending money at a practice that is efficiently run by a caring and knowledgeable team who enjoy their work. Modern patients also expect to see high-tech equipment that tells them this is a place with a competitive edge.
Perhaps most important of all to modern patients is predictability and stability. If they’re having a tooth restored, they want it to be done right, first time. They want the fit to be precise and aesthetics to be pleasing, meeting if not exceeding their expectations. Their role in ongoing maintenance must have been made clear, so they understand their responsibilities. However, they will expect the treatment to be correct and appropriate from day 1.
For dentists and their teams, it is about ensuring that every element of each task performed is done to the highest possible standard. This includes giving the patient all the information they need to make informed decisions. Communication should be constant and followed up, with all the options explained in detail. Digital scans show more and give the full picture, and are a good aid for talking through the diagnosis, and what happens next.
More dentists are using digital smile design technology in their restorative cases, to enable them and their patient to see what the new smile will look like.
Exceptional patient-led treatment also means choosing the best products. Modern product development has been driven by patients, with manufacturers responding to what clinicians tell them they need, need, in order to upgrade their service delivery. Particularly in the last decade or so, truly game-changing products have been developed out of a conviction that a problem considered unsolvable could actually be fixed. This has meant that teeth previously regarded as unsavable, can be saved after all. Innovative materials, in the hands of skilled dentists who use good techniques, have helped to push back boundaries and give patients more choice.
One treatment segment in which we’ve seen incredible product development is dental implantology. New products have made these therapies more accessible, also more efficient, precise and stable. There are now implant systems that offer fantastic value too, without compromise to their durability or aesthetics. Patients who thought that dental implant treatment was way out of their price range are discovering that they can say ‘yes’.
For dentists, product development has not only allowed them to offer cost-competitive implants, but has given them flexibility. Pioneering manufacturers, using precision engineering, have created multi- platform components and abutments which are compatible with all major implant systems. Clinicians can select the most appropriate system for each case, to support a successful result that lasts for many years.
These manufacturers are also helping dentists to implement digital workflows, to support their implant treatments, should they wish to do so.
Product development for implant dentistry has incorporated state-of- the-art abutments, suitable for even the most aesthetically demanding or otherwise challenging restorations. With stronger bonding interfaces, several chimney heights and an optimised, slimmer emergence profile, dentists love using these products, for confidence of both patient and clinician satisfaction. Although an abutment seems like a small element of the dental implant workflow, it is crucial to ensure that every step of the treatment process has been delivered with excellence in mind.
Medentika, a Straumann Group brand, supplies components and multi-platform abutments that are durable and fully compatible with all major implant systems at an affordable price, and can be used with digital or conventional workflows. It has been developing its range since 2005 and, by listening to feedback from dentists, its products have evolved from pioneering to state-of-the-art. Patient-led dentistry means ensuring every single step of the treatment process is focused on giving patients the very best in terms of stability, beauty and comfort. As more people choose restorative options, to repair or replace a damaged or diseased tooth rather than remove it, ensure you choose all your products from manufacturers who have development and innovation at their heart.