Syndromes/Craniofacial Anomalies
Swara Fadnis, DMD
Resident
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Tiffany Williams, DDS
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
RICHMOND, Virginia, United States
Purpose: The goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of providers regarding incorporating a digital scanner for impression taking in children with cleft lip and/or palate.
Methods: A survey was sent out to members of the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). The survey included questions regarding the providers’ perception of incorporating digital intraoral scanners for impressions for fabrication of obturators. The survey also included questions about the providers’ reservations in using this technology in practice, what their experience has been with the incorporation of this technology into practice, and what is the reason, if any, for not utilizing this technology for this purpose.
Results: The results of the study indicated that 73% of respondents either agree or strongly agree that they are willing to dedicate the time and effort required to learn about digital technologies. Some commonly reported barriers were- cost, lack of training in residency, and limited use of digital scanners in a pediatric dental practice. Those who self-reported use of an IO scanner had significantly higher agreement with statements about the ease of digital technology (p < 0.0001), increased accuracy (p=0.0003), increased efficiency (p=0.0004),
increased predictability (p=0.0002), increased patient acceptance/tolerance (p < 0.0001), and that it’s worth the investment (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Our study has shown that practitioners in the US view digital scanning as a viable option for fabrication of obturators and that the major limiting factors seem to be cost and lack of training during residency. Our study has yielded promising results regarding incorporating digital dentistry to obtain impresisons for obturators. We hope to encourage pediatric practitioners to employ digital dentistry and expand its use to treating children born with cleft and/or palate.