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The 7 Current Trends in Dentistry
The pain you felt while eating a piece of bread at lunch let you know it was time to see the dentist. Each time you see your teeth in the mirror, you wonder what you have to do to be able to smile in public again. Don’t panic: the tooth-puller of your childhood has been replaced by a professional who has nothing in common with this character from another time.
Here are the 7 trends that can help you make peace with our dear dentists.
High technology
To some extent the source of all other trends in modern dentistry, technological advance plays an important part in all facets of the profession. Today, dentists can purchase incredible equipment that lets them provide more comfortable and efficient services than ever. For example, digital radiography results in 80% less exposure to X-rays, and toxic products for film development are no longer needed. Digital photography has become a phenomenal communication tool for dentists and their patients. Even though they still cannot replace the turbine unit, laser devices help us give the best dental care possible.
Overall health
The medical community believes that the state of our oral health has a significant impact on our well-being. In the 21st century, dentists and their teams can play a decisive role in the overall health of the patients and prevent systemic diseases such as diabetes. We do know that there is a bidirectional link between cardiovascular diseases and periodontitis, a degenerative disease affecting the gums and supporting bones. Moreover, incorrect mastication resulting from poor oral health can have undesirable effects on digestion.
The dream of immortality
It is hard no to be moved by a person who looks much more younger than his or her age! Staying young has become an obsession for people in the industrialized countries including Quebeckers. But how can we do it? By playing sports we like and eating less rich desserts. For some, by visiting the dentist regularly to keep smiling proudly and chewing with ease.
TV-shows like “The Swan” or “Extreme Makeover” are good examples of the quest for perfection that runs through the American people’s psyche. In Europe, cosmetic dentistry is a bit less frantic and takes a more natural approach. In some respects, we can say that cosmetic dentistry in Quebec is a mixture of these two influences.
Cosmetic dentistry is at its peak because our patients can see all their wishes fulfilled: natural-looking sparkling white teeth thanks to whitening, facing etc. The most important breakthrough in recent years is without a doubt the porcelain facing thin as a fingernail called “Lumineers,” which has been the subject of major media coverage. This trend has given the dental profession a new "glamour."
The Biocompatible Revolution
White or silver gray fillings? For the last 20 years, this ethical question has rocked the entire dental profession. Silver gray or amalgam fillings are currently prohibited in Sweden and Norway. They argue that the toxicity of these materials jeopardizes our health and that of our children and that mercury leaks delay growth.
The battle against silver gray fillings has been the main concern of the holistic dentistry movement in Quebec. One of its founding members, Dr. Pierre Larose, broke through many barriers. Biocompatible dentists want to practice their profession without toxic materials. The followers of this new therapeutic concept seek to save the maximum number of healthy teeth they can in the restoration process. They re-establish the ideal balance of your mouth’s bacterial flora when treating your gums so that your body can heal itself.
“Patient pampering”: passing fad or persistent trend?
The combination of dentistry and well-being is another major concern of dentists wishing to follow the new movement. In this trend, dental care is reinvented from A to Z and is now all about superior quality of the treatment and patient experience. Mobilizing all the client’s senses, massotherapy, the murmur of a stream, and the muffled atmosphere are all an invitation to relax.
According to the American Dental Association, 5% of all the dental clinics listed display the word ‘Spa’ in their corporate name. The curriculum of the ADA Congress includes courses on the integration of Spa techniques. This organization of our neighbour's to the south strongly advocates the relief of anxiety by natural means.
Having brought the new trend to Quebec in 2003 with the creation of Spa Dentaire Laurier, I believe that the integration of the Spa concept in a dental clinic must include alternative therapies such as massotherapy, aromatherapy, or even hypnosis in order to achieve greater influence on the patient’s overall health.
Computer-made restorations
My patients are fascinated the first time they see their future tooth being read, designed, and cut in front of them. Even though this apparatus is a technological miracle in itself, its most extraordinary achievement is the superb biocompatibility of the ceramic once placed in the mouth.
Over 7 million restorations have been made since the introduction of CEREC technology in 1987. It is one of the most sophisticated systems on the market. The ceramic used in CEREC restorations possess more characteristics comparable to natural enamel than any other material. It also shows exceptional longevity. (See Figure 1.)
The province of Quebec has the enviable reputation of having the greatest number of CEREC users per capita.
Oral cancer
What is the use of a nice smile to a patient who has poor overall health? Oral cancer is a fatal disease: it is often called “the forgotten disease.” Mortality rates haven’t dropped in the last 50 years. This cancer, one of the most disfiguring, can seriously affect an individual’s capacity to eat, talk, breathe, and socialize.
Nearly 50% of all oral cancers aren’t diagnosed soon enough. Dentists are better placed than anyone to reduce that number. They will be able to detect cancerous lesions much more easily than with the naked eye thanks to sophisticated equipment like the Velscope.
Nothing but good news awaits dental profession!
About Dr. Pierre Comeau, D.M.D.
Dr. Pierre Comeau received his degree in dentistry from the Université de Montréal in 1998, since then he has set himself apart with his humanist and avant-garde approach. With the foundation of Spa Dentaire Laurier in 2003, he became one of the instigators in Quebec of a trend called “patient pampering.” Dr. Comeau works in general dentistry with a special interest in advanced technologies in order to deliver the best possible care to his loyal patients.
Media Contact:
Huguette Marcotte
514 277-0780
hm@hmcom.ca
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