Istanbul University Vice Rector and Faculty of Dentistry Faculty member Prof. Dr. Gülsüm Ak stated that personalized dentistry is becoming more and more common with the advancement of technology, and said that digital and personalized solutions enable patients to get better results in their treatment processes and shorten their recovery time.
Underlining that today, medicine and dentistry have undergone a significant transformation thanks to technological advances and scientific innovations, Prof. Dr. Ak said, “As the physiological structure of each individual is different, the pathology of their diseases may also differ. Diseases have the potential to follow a different course from patient to patient. The field of health is also evolving to produce solutions to these differences. The old standard treatment approach focused on diseases is being replaced by a patient-oriented personalized treatment approach. This brings to mind the words of Hippocrates: 'There is no disease, there is a patient'. Today, personalized treatment plans optimized for each individual's disease stand out. Examples of these treatments include drug treatments tailored to personal needs in the field of medicine and personalized implant and prosthesis treatments in the field of dentistry.”
Stating that personalized treatments come to the forefront in dental treatments, Ak said, “While more successful results are obtained with prostheses specially produced in a digital environment to meet the unique needs of the person, treatment options are changing and developing for oral surgery patients with advanced bone loss. With personalized subperiosteal implant treatments, prosthetic rehabilitation of edentulous patients with advanced bone loss who cannot be treated in traditional ways can be provided. Another example of personalized medicine in oral surgery is the ability to increase the bone levels of patients in the desired amount by using membranes and bone grafts with personalized planning.”
Noting that personalized approaches are not only limited to the surgical field but are also successfully applied in different areas of dentistry, Ak said, “For example, occlusal splints are specially designed according to the jaw and tooth structure, offering personalized solutions to problems such as jaw joint diseases, teeth grinding or jaw incompatibility. Occlusal splints provide a more efficient and comfortable use and accelerate the treatment process with digital measurements and personal 3D analysis.
Personalized approaches also have an important place in the field of snoring treatment. Snoring is a condition that can lead to health problems such as sleep apnea, and personalized snoring appliances offer an effective solution by being designed according to the jaw structure and respiratory tract. These appliances help to keep the airway open by keeping the jaw in a certain position. With technological developments, snoring apparatus produced individually increases the success of treatment and improves the quality of life of patients.
Gingivectomy is another example of personalized medicine reflected in dentistry. Gingivectomy is the surgical removal of excess tissue from the gums and in this procedure, digital guides are used to make the procedure more precise and aesthetically more successful. Gingivectomy guides are digitally designed according to the shape and size of the gums, allowing the surgeon to perform the most accurate intervention. In this way, the healing process is shortened and the aesthetic results are more satisfactory. Orthognathic surgery is also an important application area of personalized medicine. In orthognathic surgeries, individualized surgical plans are made using digital scanning and 3D modeling technologies in surgeries performed to correct the jaw structure. In this way, surgical procedures are performed more precisely and effectively, taking into account the jaw morphology of each patient. Orthognathic surgical guides are an important part of this process and allow the surgeon to make incisions in the correct position. As a result, treatment success increases and the risk of complications decreases.”
Underlining that personalized treatments in dentistry are not limited to the surgical field, Ak said, “Orthodontic treatment options such as transparent aligners also adopt a personalized treatment approach. Measurements taken with digital scanning allow the design of transparent aligners that are most suitable for the patient's teeth and jaw structure. These aligners allow the teeth to move in a correct and controlled manner, speeding up the treatment process and providing a more aesthetically acceptable option. Dentures and implants can also be individually designed. Thanks to 3D printers, after taking intraoral measurements, customized dentures or implants can be produced. This is a great advantage, especially for patients with severe bone loss. Dental implant guides are another important technology used to personalize surgery. With 3D scans and digital modeling, implant placement can be made more precise and accurate thanks to the guides designed in accordance with the jaw structure of each patient.”
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