Digital Technological Trends in Orthodontic Practice: A Cross sectional Survey in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
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Date
2025
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Publisher
Saudi Digital Library
Abstract
Abstract
Background: In orthodontics, advancements in digital technology such as intraoral scanners, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), digital indirect bonding, and in-house aligner production have significantly enhanced diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficiency, and patient comfort. These innovations represent a paradigm shift in how orthodontic care is delivered, resulting in greater precision, speed of treatment, and improved clinical outcomes.
Aim: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the current utilisation of technology in orthodontic practices and clinics in the UK and Ireland. It will also investigate the existing barriers to the widespread adoption of technological applications and explore the potential benefits for clinicians who implement them.
Methods: An electronic survey was designed and distributed through email by the British Orthodontic Society and Orthodontic Society of Ireland
Results: A total of 191 responses were received and analysed. The survey revealed considerable utilisation of advanced technologies in clinical practices, including intraoral scanners, CBCT scans, digital indirect bracket bonding software, in-house aligner fabrication, in-house retainer production, and 3D orthognathic planning software, with an average utilisation rate of 38%. The study identified several statistically significant associations between various demographic factors and the adoption of surveyed technologies within the specialty of orthodontics. For instance, the utilisation of intraoral scanners (p < 0.001) was highest in private practice, while university clinics demonstrated a higher utilisation of CBCT scanners (p < 0.001). Notably, respondents from Scotland exhibited a greater tendency towards utilising 3D technology for orthognathic planning (p = 0.006). Moreover, gender was identified as an influencing factor in the utilization of in-house retainer production post-treatment (p = 0.027), with a greater prevalence of male respondents utilizing this technology compared to their female counterparts.Conclusions:
Although digital technologies are being incorporated into orthodontic practices in the UK and Republic of Ireland, their implementation faces with significant obstacles such as high costs, insufficient training, and substantial concerns over data protection. Despite these barriers, the potential for improved diagnostic accuracy and patient care continues to drive interest in overcoming these hurdles.
Description
The first part is a literature review about Technology in Orthodontics: Opportunities, Risks, and the Rise of Direct-to-Consumer Treatment :
Background:
Technology in Dentistry:
Over the past ten years, there have been significant advancements in information and communications technology in the health care fields, which have had positive effects on the practice of dentistry and medicine. Telemedicine, teledentistry, and telepharmacy are new terms that have captured the attention of the public. Although there are numerous disciplines within the health care sector, they all share an essential common factor: the importance of telecommunications technology in health care practice (Chen et al. 2003).
Telemedicine has been defined by the Association of American Medical Colleges as the utilisation of technology for telecommunications for transferring data, pictures, sounds, and videos between users for the purpose of providing clinical care. The use of telemedicine has increased in the dental field due to professional shortages, geographic isolation, decreased funding, lower costs, and improved technology.(Hoye 2018). On the contrary, teledentistry is a combination of both telecommunications and dentistry that includes the transfer of patient data and records for consultation and treatment planning over remote distances (Yoshinaga 2001). In 1997, Cook was the first to use the term "Teledentistry" and defined it as "the process of using video-conferencing tools to assess as well as provide recommendations about treatment at a distance” (Chen et al. 2003).
Since the early 1990s, teledentistry has significantly expanded and achieved progress in a number of dental specialties. It may prove to be the quickest and most cost-effective method to overcome the rural-urban health gap. Lienert et al. (2010) discovered that telemedical services were beneficial for cases involving dental trauma in a Swiss telemedical centre and offered vital input in situations where a specialist dentist was unavailable.
Statement of the problem:
The aim of this study is to determine how accurate are the impressions taken by patients of their own teeth compared with those taken by dental clinicians. The precision of the impressions will have a substantial impact on the fit of any appliances and, consequently, the treatment outcomes. There is currently insufficient data available to evaluate and compare the impressions taken by lay people to those taken by clinically trained clinicians.
The second part is the cross-sectional study as stated in the box above (Digital Technological Trends in Orthodontic Practice: A Cross sectional Survey in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.).
Keywords
Digital orthodontics, Technology adoption