Thomas K. Hedge D.D.S., F.A.C.E.
December 2001

What is Digital Dentistry? Digital Dentistry is the application of digital technology to the practice of dentistry. Digital information can be in the form of images, documents like health history forms, presentations, web sites, modified images, e mail newsletters, and other applications that are limited only by your imagination. These applications can change the way communication happens between, doctors, staff, patients, and laboratory personnel. It is about empowerment. It empowers the doctor and staff to communicate to others in ways previously unimaginable. It empowers the patient to know more about their mouth, teeth, and dentistry, than ever before. It empowers the laboratory technician to gain information about the patient that was previously limited to a yellow stone model.

Digital Photography is the biggest underutilized new technology in dentistry today.Recently, I was walking the exhibit hall at a major state meeting and didn't find one booth or company that focused on digital photography. There was one digital still camera at a local technology integration company. At this same show there were three microscope companies, a half dozen lasers, and numerous other new technologies. The reason that more companies are not selling this technology is that the profit margin on digital cameras is very thin.

The advent of the high quality digital still camera has changed the way I examine my patients. My patient and I can co-examine their teeth and mouth and come to a mutual conclusion about their specific needs. It changes diagnosing dentistry from what the patient "needs" to what the patient wants.

Digital photography blows away the intra oral video camera in terms of clarity of intra and extra oral views.The nineties was the era of the intra oral video camera. This camera allowed dentists to show patients, "up close and personal", just what their tooth looked like. It often validated the dentists diagnosis to a potentially skeptical patient. The ability to show a single tooth is both the beauty and downfall of this camera view. Intraoral video cameras capture images with a resolution that is 1/4 the resolution of digital still cameras. Lighting is limited and poorly distributed, especially for capturing views beyond one tooth. Ergonomics of intraoral video cameras is awkward when capturing many views and the image is often reversed. A digital still camera is easy to use, has great resolution, and lights the image evenly.

A consumer analogy exists in that most new digital video cameras will capture still images. If they were good images, there would be no market for digital still cameras that can cost as much or more than video cameras.

A dentist would finish an intraoral video camera examination. Sixteen to twenty-eight images would be captured. He would begin reviewing the images one at a time on a computer monitor for the patient. Inevitably, after about the third image, the patient would hold up a mirror and ask the doctor, "now which tooth is that, Doc?". The patient could not get the "big picture".

Every post graduate education program like The Las Vegas Institute or The Pankey Institute teaches dentists to be comprehensive and present a complete treatment plan. A complete treatment plan that includes "the big picture". How can we present the "big picture" with sixteen little pictures?

Digital still photography allows us to capture detailed images of each arch, the four posterior quadrants, and the smile views. Patients review these images and ask for solutions. We no longer need to sell dentistry.

From a Return On Investment viewpoint, Digital Photography is one of the least expensive technologies today.How much is an air abrasion unit? Up to $20,000. How much additional production will it generate? I think very little. Most of what you can do with an air abrasion unit, can be done with a high speed with fissureotomy burs and a slow speed. I say this as a devils advocate because I have had an air abraision unit for some years now. I gain very little additional production, only an enhanced patient experience that is of value.

How much is a digital camera? A simple camera can be acquired for under $1000. I will recommend spending over $4000 for a camera, but we will delve deeply into this to help you make a decision. Sounds like a lot of money for a camera, doesn't it? How much was the last intraoral video camera you bought? It's all about return on investment. How much will you recoup on you $4000 investment? Will patients ask you to solve their dental problems when they see them? You bet they will.

Tom is the course director of the Digital Dentistry course. The next course dates are Nov. 9-10 and March 15-16. Tom also presents an introduction to Digital Dentistry with a hands-on digital photography workshop at each CAG course.