2022 Dentist of the Year Dr Manrina Rhode has sourced some revolutionising new dental technologies for her recently opened DRMR super clinic \u2013 and is one of the first in the UK to introduce them. The tech is designed to enhance her patients\u2019 experience, eradicating avoidable pain, dental fear, needle phobia and associated anxiety, whilst optimising oral health.<\/p>\n
The cutting-edge Waterlase uses energy and a spray of water to perform a wide range of dental procedures in a gentle, minimally invasive way. It is a highly precise all-tissue laser, able to painlessly cut through teeth, soft tissue and bone.<\/p>\n
Waterlase makes treatments more comfortable, enabling a wide range of procedures to be performed without the drill or need for numbing injections or anaesthetic \u2013 so alleviating discomfort, blood loss and stress. It allows for greater treatment options, often cutting down on the number of clinic visits. The gentle Waterlase system has been shown to cause less swelling, with faster recovery and healing times. Waterlase can very effectively and comfortably replace the heat, vibration and pressure associated with the traditional drill for procedures such as saving severely decayed teeth, exposing an unerupted tooth or removing plaque.<\/p>\n
Looking at the science, teeth are partially made up of water and when the laser makes contact with the tooth, it excites the water molecules to cut through the tooth. With single-use disposable tips, the laser also carries less risk of cross-contamination.<\/p>\n
Dr Manrina has also just installed a digitally advanced iTero scanner for a multitude of restorative treatments \u2013 including clear aligners for teeth straightening, dental implants, crowns and bridges \u2013 replacing the outdated method of taking impressions in mouth-gagging putty.<\/p>\n
Using a small hand-held wand, the scanner is inserted into the patient\u2019s mouth and can capture over 6,000 images a second of teeth and gums, generating an immediate 3D model which can be viewed on screen. The scan is minimally invasive; the patient can breathe and swallow as normal, and the process can be easily paused at the request of the patient. Once the image is captured, it is possible to demonstrate what a patient\u2019s restored teeth could look like in an image of their face within seconds.<\/p>\n
The perfectly accurate digital impression is then sent electronically to the lab for work to commence immediately on the treatment plan, without having to wait for physical putty impressions to arrive.<\/p>\n
Another London first is Manrina\u2019s pioneering use of AssistDent artificial intelligence technology to identify the earliest signs of dental disease within seconds from x-rays which otherwise might go unseen. The subtle signs of early-stage tooth decay can be difficult to detect on traditional x-rays, so the opportunity for preventative measures can be missed, which can have a significant impact on improving the patient\u2019s oral health before any long-term damage is done.<\/p>\n
The practice team simply imports the patient\u2019s x-rays into the AI software; it identifies and flags up the earliest signs of disease and generates a report. All this within around 8 seconds. Manrina is then able to validate the findings and recommend preventive treatments.<\/p>\n
Manrina\u2019s clinic has also installed ChairSyde, an interactive platform to help explain dental conditions and treatment options to patients, using a library of sophisticated animations and visualisations. This helps aid a patient\u2019s understanding, allowing them to make informed decisions and be aware of their treatment journey ahead.<\/p>\n
Talking about her advanced in-clinic technologies, Dr Manrina said: \u201cMy super clinic is kitted out with the latest technologies available to dentists today. We have looked across Europe \u2013 and beyond \u2013 to ensure our patients enjoy the best possible experience, using the latest advances available, making them feel as comfortable, relaxed and well looked after as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The super comfortable memory foam upholstered dental chair in the DRMR clinic was made to order to Manrina\u2019s specifications. The top-of-the-range Stern Weber \u2013 which was transported from Italy \u2013 has a built-in computer to help it move seamlessly. It spins to the optimal treatment position and can automatically rotate to 90 degrees, which aids face-to-face interaction and communication which puts patients at ease. It also has a pneumatic headrest with multi-axis rotation to allow it to be adjusted to cradle the neck and head.<\/p>\n
### The chair incorporates a number of exciting tech features to improve the patient experience:<\/p>\n
* An automatic sterilisation and disinfection programme for all-important cross-infection protection
\n* Heated water\/air, warmed when used in the mouth to prevent sensitivity
\n* A sensor that autofills the patient\u2019s cup
\n* An electric hand motor for a super quiet, smooth drill
\n* An X-ray device mounted on a chair so the patient doesn\u2019t need to move to another room for scanning
\n* A high-resolution camera embedded in the chair light which allows patients to see what\u2019s happening in their mouth displayed on a large screen.<\/p>\n
### For the dentist, there are also a number of technologies that make treatment safer and more comfortable to perform:<\/p>\n
* Ambidextrous delivery style for all-round operation
\n* Multi-function wireless foot control which avoids hazards and isolates the chair when operating the dynamic instrumentation
\n* Special modes to accommodate dentists performing implant, endodontic and restorative treatments
\n* Computer programme which allows technicians to dial in if there is a problem<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
2022 Dentist of the Year Dr Manrina Rhode has sourced some revolutionising new dental technologies for her recently opened DRMR super clinic \u2013 and is one of the first in the UK to introduce them. The tech is designed to enhance her patients\u2019 experience, eradicating avoidable pain, dental fear, needle phobia and associated anxiety, whilst…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":93953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16126,16116],"class_list":["post-102696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clinics-dentistry","category-wellbeing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n