The Modern and Digital Transformation of Oral Health Care: A Mini Review

• Main Authors: Muhammad Syafiq Alauddin, Ahmad Syukran Baharuddin, Mohd Ifwat Mohd Ghazali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Healthcare
• Subjects: big data; digital dentistry; artificial intelligence; internet of things; augmented reality; dental implants
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/2/118

Dentistry is a part of the field of medicine which is advocated in this digital revolution. The increasing trend in dentistry digitalization has led to the advancement in computer-derived data processing and manufacturing. This progress has been exponentially supported by the Internet of medical things (IoMT), big data and analytical algorithm, internet and communication technologies (ICT) including digital social media, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), and artificial intelligence (AI). The interplay between these sophisticated digital aspects has dramatically changed the healthcare and biomedical sectors, especially for dentistry. This myriad of applications of technologies will not only be able to streamline oral health care, facilitate workflow, increase oral health at a fraction of the current conventional cost, relieve dentist and dental auxiliary staff from routine and laborious tasks, but also ignite participatory in personalized oral health care. This narrative article review highlights recent dentistry digitalization encompassing technological advancement, limitations, challenges, and conceptual theoretical modern approaches in oral health prevention and care, particularly in ensuring the quality, efficiency, and strategic dental care in the modern era of dentistry.