Turn that Frown Upside Down by Educating Patients on Your Digital Dental Technology

The Zoom Effect has everyone thinking more about their smiles these days. However, a 2019 global survey* of people’s feelings towards the oral healthcare industry and the technology used found that patients aren’t smiling about a trip to the dentist. In fact, more than 50% of people feel anxious about going to see their oral healthcare provider. The reason? Well, the survey sheds some light on what’s making some patients nervous: A quarter of the people who have felt anxious or scared when it comes to going to the dentist say the dental equipment is the reason why.

Oral healthcare professionals have watched dental tech grow by leaps and bounds in the past decade. Digital dental technology like OPG Scanners, RVG Sensors, and Portable Dental X Ray Machines have streamlined workflows for dentists and team members.

It has made appointments faster, more comfortable, less messy and in some cases safer for patients (think, less exposure during pans and CBCT scans). Those who have been practicing for years can compare the experience of planning implants off 2D X-rays and placing them freehand to virtual implant planning and guided surgery today and wonder what patients are so afraid of when digital technology has contributed to better outcomes.

Perhaps doctors and their teams are too close to the situation. It may surprise oral healthcare professionals to find less than half of patients believe their doctor uses very advanced technology. That perception hurts the industry as a whole. When asked which healthcare industries use the most advanced technology people ranked oral healthcare third, behind orthopedics and optical.