Technological Innovation and Dental Medicine
New paradigms brought on by technological advances offer fresh perspectives and solutions to old problems. As an example, the Hubble telescope is a technological advance that changed humanity’s perception of the universe (Figure 1). Concepts evolve over years or decades, and sometimes over centuries. Technology can validate concepts developed by master teachers of the past, not by seeking to change the definition or the parameters of a concept, but rather to provide undeniable proof of a concept’s inherent soundness.
Figure 1.
T-Scan Sensor technology and Hubble Telescope were both major innovations in their respective disciplines, because they made visible what was previously invisible
The science of occlusion has developed using traditional, accepted definitions (contained within the Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms) as a method of standardizing the interpretation of concepts related to the Stomatognathic system. Traditional occlusion is the study of spatial relationships that uses non-digital tools, such as stone casts, facebow transfers, and articulators, to assess these spatial relationships. Modern dental technologies, such as digital photography and radiology, enhance the diagnosis made with traditional, non-digital methods, which then further develop the science.
Digital applications will continue to grow as dental professionals keep finding ways of incorporating technology into the diagnosis and treatment of many dental conditions. Implementation must be simple, make sense to patients, and motivate them to seek comprehensive treatment. Digital data should also be affordable, productive, organized, and practical for clinicians to employ. Currently, digital technologies assist during diagnosis, treatment sequencing, and treatment. They also electronically document, educate, and monitor patient progress. Specialized software applications can image, design, and fabricate restorations while facilitating future diagnostic and treatment innovations. In Dental Medicine’s digital evolution, computer-based applications are becoming instruments of change. Ultimately, economic benefits that provide a win-win situation for both patients and practitioners will transform evolution into revolution, providing Dental Medicine with new and innovative solutions.
In the oral cavity, articulating paper is the “Standard of measurement” used by every dentist worldwide, to “measure” and analyze occlusal contact pressure. Interestingly, articulating paper does not actually measure occlusal force or occlusal contact pressure (Carey et. al., 2007; Saad, et. al., 2008; Qadeer et. al., 2012), but is widely believed (surprisingly) to be able to do that by its appearance characteristics. Presently, no published study shows articulating paper markings can measure occlusal force.
Alternatively, the T-Scan system’s recording sensor (HD Sensor, Tekscan Inc., S. Boston, MA, USA) transcends the analog generation of occlusal tools by acquiring differing relative occlusal contact force levels from all contacting teeth, thereby removing the occlusal contact force, pressure, and timing information from within the oral cavity, and displaying it on a computer monitor for instantaneous clinician viewing and analysis. In the same way that telescopes and microscopes opened our eyes to objects that had never been seen before to produce new theories that challenged our imaginations, the T-Scan technology opens new perspectives and possibilities for occlusal research, while offering occlusal solutions for every clinician who marks occlusal contacts with articulating paper, and then chooses the contacts for treatment by subjectively interpreting the marking’s appearance (Kerstein & Radke, 2013).
Today’s reality for diagnosing and improving the Standard of patient care, is correctly oriented and sized data images that are viewable in multiple dimensions. Diagnostic relative occlusal force scans record high-quality data measurements which are then archived in clinical records. With the T-Scan technology (Version 8, Tekscan Inc., S. Boston, MA, USA), form, function, and anatomy in motion can be imaged in a video format that explores the possibilities of advancing occlusal knowledge, while achieving healthy, efficient, occlusal function for patients.