Editors Note

A Look Beyond September marks the Efficiency in Group Practice annual Equipment & Technology Guide - an opportunity to share with readers the latest and greatest technology offerings. From dental waterline treatment systems to amalgam separators, dry vacuums, intraoral scanners, curing lights, etc., dental professionals can take advantage of some of the most progressive dental technology to date. Indeed, advances in dental technology have continued to change the face of dentistry. Take the introduction of cone beam computed technology (CBCT) in the United States. After significantly evolving over the last 20 years, the technology has been credited with having led to greater diagnostic accuracy, more precise implant placement, reduced chair times for patients and more. In addition, patients can be more involved and proactive in their overall healthcare, notes Heidi Kohltfarber, DDS, MS, PhD, founder, Dental Radiology Diagnostics, and a consultant for Dentsply Sirona. Doctors can better educate their patients, creating a stronger doctor-patient bond and facilitating greater case acceptance, she points out. In fact, with CBCT, the entire dental team can work more efficiently, whether they are visualizing periodontal bone levels, taking diagnostic images or adhering to more efficient schedules, she adds. Many industry experts believe CBCT has emerged as the gold standard for imaging in the oral maxillofacial area, according to Keith R. VanBenthuysen, DMD, FAGD, a Nashville, Tennessee-based practice owner and a consultant for Marquee Dental Partners. A patients visit to a dental office looks vastly different today versus five years ago, he says. Diagnoses - as well as crowns - can be completed in one appointment, he points out. CBCT will continue to revolutionize the practice of dentistry, he says. Particularly as radiation exposure is reduced and images improve, we will be even better able to combine CBCT with other technologies to enhance our treatment capabilities and outcomes. As we head into the final stretch of 2019, Efficiency in Group Practice invites readers to look beyond and envision their dental practice as a community leader for years to come.