Three New Trends for Dental Treatment in the Post-Pandemic Era

"After taking off their masks, many dental patients feel exposed in a clinical setting. No longer are they only concerned with solving dental problems or pursing dental aesthetics; now they also want to know whether this clinic will adequately protect them from potential infection.” Said Dr. Michael Tsao, who is both the owner of Sweet Space Dental Clinic and the founder for CEREC Asia Dental Training Center. 

According to Dr. Tsao, in the past dental clinics have focused their infection control mostly against Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. But with the COVID-19 virus, transmission by air droplets, aerosol, saliva, blood and other means are now possible. Even with a simple ultrasonic scaling treatment, studies have shown that the saliva can aerosolize and remain suspended in the air for up to 40 minutes, endangering not only the dentist and the dental assistant, but also the next patient on schedule.

CEREC Asia founder Dr. Michael Tsao created a comprehensive system including digital equipments, protective medical devices, and online training courses.

Therefore, three new trends for infection control have risen. First, dental professionals now use personal protection equipment for effective isolation. Second, dental treatments using digital technology have reduced both the length and frequency of patient visits to the lcinic. And third, many clinics now employ complete treatment solutions that offers a one-stop service for patients, so that infection management and control is entirely in the hands of a single clinic.

Protective Medical Equipment Favored by Dentists in Thailand: “Keeps both us and the patients safe”

Dr. Yiting Chu from Sweet Space Dental Clinic is a strong advocate of proper protection in dental clinics. Using as an example the award-winning dental isolation system, EasyPrep, she explained how such devices help the treatment process to go more smoothly. Patient no longer experience discomfort from opening their mouths during long procedures, and they can comfortably achieve a natural bite during treatment. For the dentist, EasyPrep isolates the tongue and cheeks to prevent accidental swallowing of dental tools. But most importantly, the device can efficiently evacuate large amounts of saliva and minimize air droplets caused by dental treatment. For Dr. Chu, an extra layer of protection and comfort offered by EasyPrep is paramount, especially during these times. 
 
EasyPrep was researched, developed, and produced in Taiwan by CEREC Asia Dental Continuing Education Center, and has been sold to many countries including China, Thailand, and Malaysia, among others. It is especially favored by Thai Dentists, as the isolation system has become a popular and effective means of infection control to combat against the local epidemic in the area.

Taiwanese-made oral isolation system "EasyPrep" plays a critical role during the pandemic

Thai dentist Suchada Kongkiatkamon: "For clinical staff during dental treatment, EasyPrep can easily reduce aerosol by blocking the communication between oral and the throat area, and can quickly eliminate large amounts of fluids during procedures to greatly reduce the chance of choking hazards. At the same time, the possibility of viral infection is also drastically minimized."
 
She further revealed that EasyPrep not only helps during the epidemic, but also helps doctors reduce the risk of accidental ingestion of foreign bodies on the patients’ part. The integrated silicone bite block effectively depresses the tongue and the cheek to provide a clear view for the dentist during treatment, while at the same protecting the soft tissues of the patient from trauma. With EasyPrep, the time needed for every step of the procedure is shortened. 

“I cannot find a reason not to use it!”  

Thai dentist Suchada Kongkiatkamon praising "EasyPrep" for helping doctors reduce medical risks

Scan to learn more about EasyPrep, the innovative protective medical device. 

When Digital Technology Helps with the Pandemic! The Exclusive Total Solution from CEREC Asia

Digital technology has adopted an important new role during the pandemic. For the CEREC Asia Training Center, its unique total solution takes advantage of the massive increase in efficiency and success rate offered by digital technology, while at the same time drastically reducing infection risk. 
 
Thomas Tsao, CEO of CEREC Asia, uses fixed dentures as an example. In the past, clinics begin the treatment with an oral impression, which is then sent to the dental laboratory for the fabrication of dental prostheses. Not only do impression materials harbor potential infectious diseases, typically there are also subsequent processes of adjusting and fitting the dentures, which usually takes at least 7 to 14 days. But now, clinicians at Sweet Space Dental Clinic take digital intraoral impressions of the patients’ oral cavities, which are then converted into 3D models for use in rapid computer-assisted design (CAD). The final design is transmitted over the cloud to a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine for denture manufacture. Through this new treatment protocol, there are minimal physical contacts with oral impressions, if any, and the entire procedure is completed in a single day. Furthermore, thorough infection control of intraoral scanner is easily and reliably administered.

Digital dentistry offers similar advantages of efficiency, precision, and safety to other dental treatments including restorations, implants, and orthodontics. More importantly, the total-solution system offered at CEREC Asia can be customized to its members depending on clinical needs. Thomas Tsao noted that the training center not only provides digital equipment, protective medical devices, and guided instructions for use, but also have a plethora of online training courses to assist its members’ learning process. Every aspect of the skills and knowledge involved are a result of countless times of trial and error, and they are statistically supported to optimize for accuracy and efficiency.

CEREC Asia CEO Thomas Tsao says members will be able to make use of the collated database of dental diagnosis and treatment curated by CEREC Asia to formulate more suitable treatment plans for Asian patient.

In the future, members will be able to make use of the collated database of dental diagnosis and treatment curated by CEREC Asia to formulate more suitable treatment plans for Asian patients, and thus shortening the adjustment time of the denture model by up to 80%.

After the Pandemic, Safety During Dental Treatments Will Be of Utmost Requirement

In 2015, Michael and Thomas Tsao founded CEREC Asia, with an original intention to promoting a prominent and long-standing total-solution system in Europe and North America, as well as integrating it into the Taiwanese dental market. The two brothers hoped that by combining technology and medical talents, CEREC Asia can play leading role in Asia in improving efficiency and safety of diagnoses and treatments. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic, protection from infection in dental procedures has become a necessary requirement that drew diligent concern from dentists all over the world. Back home, these changes have created new opportunities, which in June of this year will be manifested via the first worldwide dental devices crowdfunding platform called Tooth Faerie. The platform aims to bring together innovative elements and collective talents of the globe to solve procedural issues and improve treatment quality for patients and clinicians alike.
 
At present, members of CEREC Asia Dental Continuing Education Center hail from numerous countries in the world, including top dentists from the United States, Russia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and many other Southeast Asian countries. This year, it is expected to promote 20 anti-epidemic digital solutions, in the spirit of “Taiwan Can Help”, made possible by CEREC Asia's strength in integrated digital dental solutions.