When it comes to the best cosmetic dentist office, patients are always looking for the latest and greatest technology to make their dental procedures quick, painless, and more cost effective. But if patients find a cosmetic dentist using Google Glass, they may have just hit the jackpot when it comes to cosmetic dentistry technology.
A Barcelona-based company, Avinent, recently teamed up with software development company Droiders to develop Avinent Glass, a new app for Google Glass. This app guides and assists dental staff through the dental implants procedure.
This could be good news for those who need the dental implants procedure. An estimated 28% of people 35 to 40 years old have untreated tooth decay, which is five times more common than asthma among adolescents aged 14 to 17. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among American adults, resulting in the skyrocketing number of implant procedures.
Using Google Glass’s heads up display, along with voice commands and QR codes to identify implants, the new app will guide dentists through the entire dental implants procedure process. The app will also be able to record surgeries using videos and pictures which can be accessed on the Internet — making this a great training tool for new cosmetic dentists.
“One of the main characteristics of [Google Glass] is that you don’t need your hands to give instructions or move from one window to the next one,” says Albert Giralt, general manager of Avinent. “This is a very useful feature in the surgical process.”
Before the surgery, Avinent will mark the dental implants with a QR code that the Google Glass app will be able to identify. After scanning the code, the app will tell the implant dentist the exact type of dental implant, the diameter, the length, and even the expiration date of the equipment.
The app also indicates which tool to use, and when, as it guides the dentist through the surgical process. After the dentist has completed one step, a simple audible “next” will take them to the next step.
Unfortunately dental implant patients will need to wait until the end of the year before they start seeing these Google Glasses in the surgical procedure room. However, the new technology is destined to speed up the dental implant process and improve its already high 98% success rate. Who knows, these glasses could show up in general family dentistry offices as well.
