Digitalisation of Dentistry: A Pandemic Influence

Digital technologies have been gradually introduced in almost all aspects of modern life. In the era of paperless technology - digitalisation does speak volumes of how well clinicians have adopted modern clinical practices. Digital technologies have revolutionized and has radically changed the practice of dentistry. COVID - 19 pandemic has played a significant role in hastening the process of digitalisation in all the fields including various aspects of dentistry. Therefore, we constituted a study to determine the pace and the status of digitalisation of dentistry and also to learn the attitude of dental professionals towards this change. The study is based on two self - administered surveys. The first survey was conducted between August 2019 and September 2019 which gives us the pre - pandemic data and the second survey was done between August 2021 and September 2021 which accounts for the post - pandemic data. Marginal Homogeneity test was used to compare the responses to the questions by the study participants between pre and post - pandemic periods. The findings of our study suggested that the majority of the dental professionals have already begun to embrace the path of modernisation of their clinical practice in almost all aspects post coronavirus disease pandemic, from utilising modern and smart technologies to maintain a digital record of patients? treatment history and organising their schedules and agendas; to digitally record radiographs, dental and periodontal charting, and have access to these data from outside their training, reducing the contact exposure between the patient and the clinician. Newer innovative computer techniques are starting to be employed in all fields of education and has been found useful in many areas of dentistry and has a great potential in revolutionizing dentistry and dental education. The digitalisation of dentistry is not just a future trend in dentistry, it is happening now in the present. The integration of digital technology into dentistry is changing the way of practice, management and communication. It depends on the dentist to well define his/her practice by adopting the leading - edge innovations in the present and future.