Dear Imaging & CAD/CAM Insider,
For all the "pros" we hear about digital radiography improving workflow and productivity, it's not often we hear many "cons." But a new study reveals some cracks in the industry's claims about the advantages of going digital in the dental office.
The systematic lit review, published in this month's Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, evaluated the six most frequently cited advantages of working with intraoral radiography and concluded that "not all of the predicted advantages with digital compared to film-based radiography hold true in daily clinical work." Read more in our latest Imaging Insider Exclusive.
In other Imaging & CAD/CAM Community news, the recent Chicago Midwinter Meeting featured a number of new imaging products, including the latest in CAD/CAM software. Dubbed "biogenerics," this software -- which enables dentists to design and fabricate inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers, bridges, and more by using a patient's existing tooth morphology -- is now making its way into the dental office. Read more.
On the clinical front, the ability of laser fluorescence to assist in the early detection of occlusal and smooth surface caries has been well documented. But are tools such as the Diagnodent effective in determining the extent of pit-and-fissure caries prior to tooth preparation, or can they lead to overtreatment? Read more.
Meanwhile, Sjögren's syndrome can be one of the trickier oral diseases to diagnose, with many of the diagnostic techniques time-consuming and even painful. Now a group of Japanese researchers is trying a less invasive approach: ultrasonography. Click here to read more.
In other news, in response to reports of rising exposure to healthcare radiation in the U.S., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from computed tomography and other imaging exams.
And under the tutelage of its latest president, Dr. Allan Farman, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology is taking a leadership role on such issues as cone-beam CT dose guidelines, 3D imaging for implant planning, orthodontic imaging using CT, and electronic data sharing. Read more.
