Dear Dr. Kristallis, I know that your practice is one of the very few dental practices in the Washington DC area which fully embraced the digital technology. From the perspective of the patient, can you explain what benefits the patients can derive by using this digital technology?

1. Reduce the number of visits: With digital technology the number of visits needed for a specific treatment is reduced significantly. Oftentimes, you can walk away with your new teeth within an hour of your visit, whereas using the old technology would have taken several visits.
   
2. The procedures is more confortable to the patient: We use digital imaging technology and CAD/CAM technique for fabricating your new tooth. This is opposed to the old way by which resins are applied to your mouth and then wait for the resin to set. If the mold is not satisfactory the process will be repeated. The digital technology makes the process much more confortable for the patient.
   
3. Patient can participate throughout the process: With digital technology the images of the possible results are available for the patient to review, even before the treatment is started. This allows the patient to actively participate in the treatment decision and will result in a much satisfactory outcome.

4. Less error prone: With the old technology, first a resin mold of your teeth is taken. The mold is then sent to a lab where the technician (who you never met) will fabricate your teeth using the mold as the guide. This process is error prone due to the possibility of the inherent human limitations. Compared to this with digital technology a 3D image of your teeth is taken and your teeth is fabricated digitally using precision machines utilizing CAD/CAM techniques. This ensures more accurate results and a better outcome.
   

Dr. Kristallis explaining the benefits of digital dental technology

Dr. Kristallis explaining how the digital technology changed the treatment of cavities