Dental imaging has come a long way since the advent of radiography in the profession, with modern day systems offering sleek and efficient workflows for a variety of clinical needs. In recent decades, we have welcomed a new approach to patient care awash with effective digital solutions, which will shape treatments long into the future.

However, to provide the most effective care possible, each practice must select the right systems to invest in, suited to their unique workflows. Making the best choices will not only improve patient lives today, but inform treatments in exceptional detail for years to come.

Immediate impacts

It’s important to assess what types of imaging system your practice currently needs. This will vary dependent on the information that your common treatment plans require: You’ll receive different insights from intraoral and extraoral scanners, or 2D and 3D systems.

Perhaps your practice could benefit from the addition of a versatile imaging plate system, suited to many everyday requirements. These are excellent for the likes of periapical and bitewing exams, offering insight into a variety of oral health problems. Imaging plate systems are simple for clinical use, and often solely provide results in 2D, which can and will continue to inform many common treatment plans.

However, relying only on two-dimensional results means professionals can’t always determine a correct diagnosis.[i] To attain a wider range of clinical insights, exceptional 3D solutions have been developed, like cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems.

These allow for the visualisation and assessment of bony anatomic structures and pathological changes in three dimensions, and to a high degree of accuracy.[ii] Some specialised CBCT systems include facial scanning, which can reliably capture 3D soft-tissue images for digital treatment planning.[iii] A CBCT system not only delivers a greater variety of treatment insights, but allows clinicians to closely tailor plans for the likes of implants and bone grafts. The benefits to individualised care are clear: Complex regenerative operations are simplified and faster, with a reduced risk of infection and improved healing,[iv] all initiated from the imaging capabilities.

It may be most suitable to combine both 2D and 3D imaging solutions within a practice. Clinicians can then approach patients with the suitable tool depending on the diagnostic requirement, whilst also attaining comprehensive insights.

Look to the future

It’s important to not only consider the changes a new imaging system can make today, but how it will affect your workflows many years down the line. To do so, we must begin to understand what dentistry might look like in the future.

Perhaps the largest and fastest moving trend in dentistry is that of artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications when devising diagnoses and treatment plans. It has proven to provide accurate assessments of periapical lesions and root fractures, and aid throughout the orthodontic process, from diagnosis to planning and treatment monitoring.[v] AI’s abilities do not end there, and they will only expand as further research is carried out.

Ensuring your investment is compatible with AI-powered imaging software may be key. When utilised for radiographic interpretation, in particular, clinicians could be more likely to prevent incorrect diagnosis and treatment planning, and avoid unnecessary investments of time and workload.[vi]

The right system will not only align with the future of dentistry as a whole, but with your practice specifically. It could enhance your ability to provide and monitor effective orthodontic, dental implant and endodontic treatments in the coming years. Your investment could then fuel practice growth, by opening doors to clinical offerings that were never possible before.

Protect your practice

Undoubtedly, when an investment into something as significant as an imaging system is made, there is a need to maximise its returns and sustain its impact for as long as possible. This is not only through providing up-to-date benefits for treatment planning and monitoring, but ensuring it is physically able to stand the test of time.

Sometimes systems fail, simply through parts falling short after years of service or accidental breaks. There shouldn’t be a need to invest in an entirely new solution when this happens. To protect an investment against unfortunate eventualities, dental professionals should be able to repair or replace an imaging system quickly, without suffering extensive treatment downtimes.

Effective dental imaging is vital for the future of any practice, and Carestream Dental is committed to providing clinicians with exceptionally designed systems, from the five-time award-winning CS 9600 CBCT scanner to the simple and effective CS 7200 Neo Edition imaging plate system. A leader in 3D technology, Carestream Dental is proud to introduce its extended warranty on a multitude of solutions, up to five years on intraoral products, and an entire decade on extraoral systems. This allows clinicians to lean on an experienced, widely-renowned brand name to restore any part of their imaging system–not just sensors and generators–for a long-lasting, reliable solution.

An imaging system has the power to revolutionise your practice’s treatment outcomes and the care patients receive. By choosing an optimal, future-proofed solution for your practice, you can continue to change lives for many years to come.

For more information on Carestream Dental and our new extended warranties visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk

For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @carestreamdental.uk

[i] Mangano, F., Shibli, J. A., & Fortin, T. (2016). Digital dentistry: new materials and techniques. International journal of dentistry, 2016.

[ii] Hung, K., Yeung, A. W. K., Tanaka, R., & Bornstein, M. M. (2020). Current applications, opportunities, and limitations of AI for 3D imaging in dental research and practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4424.

[iii] Hung, K., Yeung, A. W. K., Tanaka, R., & Bornstein, M. M. (2020). Current applications, opportunities, and limitations of AI for 3D imaging in dental research and practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4424.

[iv] Mangano, F., Shibli, J. A., & Fortin, T. (2016). Digital dentistry: new materials and techniques. International journal of dentistry, 2016.

[v] Agrawal, P., Nikhade, P., & Nikhade, P. P. (2022). Artificial intelligence in dentistry: past, present, and future. Cureus, 14(7).

[vi] Kurt Bayrakdar, S., Orhan, K., Bayrakdar, I. S., Bilgir, E., Ezhov, M., Gusarev, M., & Shumilov, E. (2021). A deep learning approach for dental implant planning in cone-beam computed tomography images. BMC Medical Imaging, 21(1), 86.

For endodontists, specialist endodontists and general dentists with an interest in endodontics, don’t miss the next World Endodontic Congress (WEC) from the International Federation of Endodontic Associations (IFEA)!

Hosted by the British Endodontic Society (BES), the 2024 Congress will be held on 11-14 September at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow.

Titled “Phases & Interfaces”, the event will present a comprehensive programme with extensive line-up of speakers who are operating at the cutting-edge of the field. There will also be various social events and networking opportunities, as well as a broad-spectrum trade show with a variety of organisations showcasing their endodontic products, technologies and solutions.

Early bird registration rates are available until 31^st May 2024, offering significant discounts for IFEA members, non-members and post-graduate students. Consider joining the BES to make use of exclusive member rates for the Congress, as well as the many other benefits available!

Secure your place today at https://ifea2024glasgow.com/registration-2/  – remember, book by 31^st May 2024 to enjoy early bird discounts.

For more information about the BES, or to join, please visit the website

www.britishendodonticsociety.org.uk or call 01494 581542

BDIA Dental Showcase – held on 22^nd – 23^rd March 2024 at London ExCeL – will present a diverse educational programme in addition to being the largest UK dental exhibition. There will be eight exciting theatres for dental professionals to visit, with sessions led by inspiring experts in their respective fields. Unafraid to tackle the difficult issues, the programmes will offer plenty of food for thought and everyone is encouraged to participate in the debates and discussions.

Professor Avijit Banerjee will be among the highly anticipated speaker line-up in the afternoon session of the Dental Update Theatre on Friday 22^nd March. He is Professor of Cariology & Operative Dentistry / Honorary Consultant & Clinical Lead in Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King’s College London / Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals Foundation Trust, London, UK. About his session, he says:

“I am going to outline the possibilities of allocating NHS UDAs to remunerate team-delivered, susceptibility/needs-related, prevention-based, person-focused management of dental caries using the minimum intervention oral care (MIOC) delivery framework. There will also be some examples of how to clinically implement such phased care pathways within multiple courses of treatment. It will be a packed 45-minute session!”

“MIOC delivery and prevention-based caries management has always been pertinent, but never more so than now, as the current fee-for-service remuneration system is not fit for purpose to achieve the goal of overall disease stabilisation, reduction and even eradication within the UK (and globally). Dental caries is ever more prevalent in vulnerable, high-needs populations, often living in socio-economic deprivation. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted this inequity. There needs to be encouragement and incentivisation given to the oral healthcare team members to deliver long-term prevention-based care by managing the root cause, as opposed to simply ‘drilling and filling’ teeth to treat the tissue damage caused by the caries process.”

With several significant challenges being faced across NHS dentistry, Professor Banerjee focuses on the key issues relating to utilisation of an MIOC approach:

“There are many barriers to implementing the four interlinked clinical domains of MIOC due to the NHS systems and processes we work under currently. These include the need for contemporary undergraduate and postgraduate training and appropriate utilisation of the entire primary care oral healthcare workforce (dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, extended-duties dental nurses, clinical dental technicians and practice managers). NHS dental system and contract reform (including payment systems) are also needed and the overall negative perception of the public towards general dental services needs to change. So too does the lack of awareness about how oral health impacts general health and the individual’s role in taking responsibility of and valuing their personal oral and dental health as part of their systemic wellbeing. Policymakers need to align views to prioritise NHS dentistry, working with industry partners and the media to promote dentistry favourably, emphasising the importance of delivering better oral health to all.”

Further to his session in the Dental Update Theatre, Professor Banerjee will provide a summary of the key points covered in the CDO Theatre on Saturday 23^rd March. This will offer a second opportunity to hear his thoughts and join what is becoming an ever more important conversation across the dental sector. 

In fact, such conversations will be happening throughout BDIA Dental Showcase, in the various lecture theatres and across the extensive exhibition. Here, you will also find an array of leading dental organisations showcasing their latest and greatest materials and technologies. Whether you offer NHS or private dentistry, or you focus on implants, orthodontics, cosmetic or restorative dentistry, there will be relevant product experts, live demonstrations and bespoke advice available to you.

It will also be the perfect platform from which to make vital business connections, to meet up with old friends and to discover new ideas that you would otherwise not have come across. Professor Banerjee adds:

“BDIA Dental Showcase is one of the main national dental conferences held in England, with a broad gathering of industry partners, businesses, clinicians, team members and educators. It attracts interest both nationally and internationally and is an opportunity for oral healthcare teams not only to find out about the latest concepts, technologies and clinical tips, but also to experience them in action and take them back to their practices. The biggest attraction for me is the opportunity to network and re-connect with people face-to-face – there’s nothing better!”

If you’re passionate about inciting positive change in UK dentistry and looking to gain exposure to some of the most forward-thinking professionals of today, don’t miss BDIA Dental Showcase 2024! Register for your free pass online today at https://dental-showcase-2024.reg.buzz/register-free-pr.

BDIA Dental Showcase 2024

22^nd-23^rd March

ExCeL London

dentalshowcase.com