30 | HealthLinksSC.com DIGITAL DENTISTRY. Both dentists said that so far, digital dentistry is the biggest technical advancement of the 21st century. It’s something Ivy learned in school; in the 1980s, it wasn’t part of her dad’s training. What makes digital dentistry special is the use of computer-based or digital components to enhance patient care. For example, suppose you needed the services of Dr. Eddie White in 1986, right after he graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina. He might have put a gooey substance in an impression tray and had you bite down until it hardened. Then he would have send the mold to a dental technician to create whatever device you needed to repair, replace or better align your teeth. “The entire process was time-consuming and very uncomfortable for the patient, despite my efforts to make it as pleasant as possible,” Dr. Eddie White said. On the other hand, if you see him or his daughter now for the same issue, they will use intraoral scanning to make a 3D digital image of your mouth to enhance analysis and treatment. “Which is much faster with no patient discomfort,” Dr. Eddie White said. “We are able to integrate different imaging and deliver care based on more information, which is better both for patient understanding and for our decision-making.” POWER BRUSHING. Electric toothbrushes have been around since 1960, when Squibb marketed the first American model, Broxodent, which rotated side to side. Today’s models rotate fully and are similar to the device dentists use for regular cleanings. Dr. Lisa Creaven, dentist and founder of Made By Dentists, a company that produces professional oral care products, said the advantage of power brushes is that their rotation “essentially forces the toothpaste in more difficult-to-reach areas, which is where cavities start.” BRUSHING, FLOSSING AND GARGLING. While this dental trinity has been around seemingly forever, it is oddly the one area that is still as troublesome as at any time in the past. “People still struggle with brushing their teeth effectively,” Dr. Ivy White said. “Regular dental visits are important, but keeping your teeth clean at home is absolutely the most important.” Her dad added that while the entire Sewee Dental Care team focuses on putting patients before teeth, he and his daughter try to see them as two parts of a connected whole. “It’s a person, not a tooth, you’re working on and trying to help,” Dr. Eddie White said. “But you have to brush your teeth and floss – and people still have a hard time figuring that out. All of the dentistry in the world won’t last if patients don’t understand how to keep everything clean.”
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