IMPRESSIONS
Lights Out
By Dr . Bruce R . Terry Editor
I lost partial power at my office the other day . It was strange that some of the outlets worked and others didn ’ t . I learned this as I arrived at my office at 8 a . m . My first patient was an apicoectomy at 8:30 . I checked the X-ray machines and we were lucky that two of the four machines were working . We had power to the chair and light in all of the treatment rooms . Even the computers in each treatment room , as well as the server , were functioning . Elsewhere in the office , computers were out , copy machines off and the credit card machine dead . Luckily , we got everything going with a few extension cords . We called PECO and they said they were aware of the problem and were fixing it as fast as they could . I was confident that we could survive . I had four treatment rooms and two had X-ray units that worked .
I got my patient numb and began to prepare for the surgery . When the patient rinsed out we quickly realized that the suction was off . I went to the utility closet and checked everything . The compressor was working , the phone system was working , but the 30 amp hard wired vacuum system was not . Uh oh , now what ?
I tried to turn the circuit breakers on and off , but that did not help . I couldn ’ t plug it into something else because it was hardwired . I called my dental supply people and asked if they had a “ MacGyver ” solution . They suggested a Shop Vac for this type of problem , but I didn ’ t have one and I needed to start this surgery or
cancel the appointment . I explained the situation to my patient and she was very understanding . We got her another magazine and waited . At 9:00 a . m . I heard a click and hum . It was the vacuum system powering on . In fact everything had come back to life . Within a few minutes I was able to start the surgery and the rest of the day was uneventful .
During the surgery I joked with my patient about our dependence on power both in and out of the office . I told her that I go camping frequently and find it different to live “ off the grid .” We talked about what dentistry was like long ago when power was not readily available and I told her that back then an extraction in the back room of a tavern was the most common dental procedure performed .
Later , I got to thinking about the future of dentistry . With all of our modern technology and nearly faultless power supply , what will the dental office of the future be doing and how will it be different from today ?
Nearly every area of dental care has and will continue to change . New techniques for saving teeth are already being used on patients . Pulpal regeneration is changing the way we provide endodontic therapy . A day may come soon when we won ’ t clean and fill a necrotic tooth with gutta percha , but instead , clean and place stem cells or plasma to effectively grow a new pulp .
Tests and therapies are being developed to limit the destructive bacteria that cause tooth and gum disease . Lasers are replacing handpieces . CBCT machines are replacing conventional radiography .
On a molecular level there is a great deal of research into nanotechnology , the development of sub-molecular building blocks to do just about anything from delivering medication to repairing and rebuilding what has been lost due to disease . Preventative therapies and regeneration
are just a few of the advancements in treatments , but just imagine what endodontic rotary instrumentation has done for endodontics and air abrasion and lasers have done for restorative dentistry . Imagine a future that casts aside all of our current treatments as if they were as outdated as gold foil .
Dental universities are aware of the opportunities available for the discovery of new techniques , products and therapies . There is a rush to find research-oriented faculty with a strong background in laboratory research and fewer clinical skills . If you are reading this and thinking that private practice is not for you , it ’ s time to get your PhD and present your resume to the dean at your local dental school . If you are a soon-to-be graduate you may want to consider a career in academics , for this is truly an overlooked opportunity .
Researchers with a dental background are like college athletes on the day of a draft . Dental schools are recruiting and for good reason . The dental schools are hoping to increase their public exposure with new product research and development , not to mention the income generated from these products and ideas . Most universities have technology development departments designed to help develop , patent and market products , all with the hope of a future revenue stream . They are investing in the future , much in the same way that corporate American is doing .
Just reading issues of IADR and AADR ( International and American Dental Research ) Journals or JADA , one can see the myriad of research going on . This research will change the way we practice . Just as we moved from the back room of the local tavern to the modern dental office , but the central theme will still be electricity . It seems without it we will still
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