Digital Dentistry
At the CU School of Dental Medicine, digital dentistry is integrated into education programs and patient care activities to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s advancements. Each course includes specific components of digital dentistry, ensuring that students receive comprehensive training throughout their education.
The goal of our digital dentistry program is multifaceted:
- Continuously incorporate emerging technologies into the dental curriculum;
- Promote clinical research in digital dentistry;
- Facilitate the acquisition of cutting-edge technology for our dental school;
- Provide ongoing training for both students and faculty on these new technologies;
- Monitor courses to ensure the latest advancements in digital dentistry are included; and
- Apply digital knowledge in clinical settings to achieve the best patient treatment outcomes.
Innovation Simulation & Creation
The Dental Advanced Simulation Hub (DASH) and the Digital Design Studio (DDS) are equipped with the latest digital dental technology, including lab scanners, intraoral scanners, milling machines and 3D printers. The DASH focuses on learning and training, while the DDS is dedicated to real patient care.
In the DASH, students refine their skills by providing exceptional care using simulated patient avatars and engaging in various practice modalities.
The DDS is where our clinical 3D printing and milling take place, enabling the production of many in-house lab services for patient care.
Clinical Applications
Successful implementation of digital dentistry technologies can improve efficiency, accuracy and predictability in patient care.
Intraoral scanners can replace the age-old gooey impressions by using a device to scan a patient’s mouth and create digital models directly in the computer. We can use those digital models to design crowns that can then be printed or milled in the Digital Design Studio in mere minutes.
Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a medical imaging technique that produces 3D scans of a patient’s head and neck anatomy, to provide a clearer and more comprehensive view than a standard X-ray.
In addition to state-of-the-art equipment, digital dentistry also encompasses advancements in dental materials, caries diagnoses, data acquisition, patient communication and more.
The Future of Digital Dentistry
As the dental profession continues to change, so must dental education. Faculty from various departments and programs at the CU School of Dental Medicine regularly collaborate to strategize how to teach, invest in, implement and sustain digital technologies well into the future.
Adoption of new digital dentistry technologies will not only benefit our dental students and faculty – it will facilitate improved diagnosis, treatment planning and outcomes for our patients.
“It is an exciting time to be in the dental profession as new technologies are being introduced at a rapid pace. CU Dental is at the forefront, utilizing these technologies to support our education, patient care and research missions.”
- David Gozalo, DDS, MS
Associate Professor and Director of Digital Dentistry