Completion Date

Spring 2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Program or Discipline Name

Healthcare Informatics

First Advisor

Glenn Mitchell

Abstract

Background and objective: In the digital world, dentistry appears to be at least a decade behind in adopting the latest technologies in comparison to consumer electronics, biomedical engineering and aeronautics. However, recently, dental professionals have experienced the evolution of the dental profession as technological growth. Digital dentistry is the future of dentistry, and it will be essential to adopt and integrate technology into practice to improve the quality of care. The new generation of digital dentistry opens the exploration of innovations and advancement in technologies which will dramatically impact and improve all of dentistry. The objective of this paper is to describe advances, innovations, and the breadth of their impacts towards time and quality of care for both patients and dentists. Materials & methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted using a self-administered, pre-tested, structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 11 multiple choice questions. The statistical relationships among the variables was analyzed using exploratory visualization (histograms, pie charts and bar charts), descriptive data analysis, and multivariate data analysis. Results: Almost all respondents used digital technologies in their daily practice. Most of them have noticed increased patient satisfaction with treatment outcomes. All responders were willing to use digital dentistry in the future. Conclusion: Although both conventional and digital dentistry have advantages and disadvantages, digital dentistry is notably superior in terms of accuracy and patient acceptance, and it will surely become the future of dentistry.

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